Former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Nkosi Mandla Mandela, was left shell-shocked after his sport utility vehicle was stolen from a parking bay at Leroy Merlin Fourways in Gauteng on Wednesday.
The stolen Toyota Land Cruiser, estimated to be worth R4-million, was driven for three hours to Limpopo, where it was later recovered at Lebowakgomo, south of Polokwane.
A 42-year-old Zimbabwean man has been arrested in South Africa while in possession of the vehicle that was stolen from a member of parliament in that country. The vehicle, a Landcruiser Prado, belonged to Mandla Mandela, the grandson of former South African president Nelson Mandela.
The suspect, who was destined for Zimbabwe and did not have a passport, was arrested near Polokwane, and will also be charged under that country’s Immigration Act. He is expected to appear before the Polokwane magistrate’s court on Monday.
The theft of the vehicle was captured through closed-circuit television cameras at the mall, where it was stolen at 12.15pm. The vehicle was on its way to being smuggled into Zimbabwe when the suspect was apprehended in Lebowakgomo policing area, outside Polokwane.
"The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has extended commendations to the swift and effective response of the members of SAPS Provincial Anti-Smuggling Task Team in the recent case involving the theft of a vehicle worth R4 million belonging to a Member of Parliament," Limpopo Province's Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said in a statement on Friday.
Mandela, expressing his gratitude for the swift action of the police, noted that the recovery of his car was a concerted effort and collaboration between the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) and the Limpopo police.
"I wish to express my sincere thanks to Leroy Merlin Fourways for their cooperation and swift provision of CCTV footage, which enabled the police, JMPD, and other security cluster agencies to identify and apprehend the suspect and recover the vehicle 300km over a three-hour drive out of Johannesburg to Lebowakgomo,” Mandela said.
In a media statement, he lamented the recurrent scourge of vehicle theft, kidnappings, and hijackings that have proliferated over the past few years.
A bemused Mandela could not fathom how thieves could easily steal a car fitted with state-of-the-art security features and manage to drive it for over 300km before the perpetrators could be apprehended.
The suspect, a 42-year-old Zimbabwean, was charged with possession of a presumed stolen vehicle and being in contravention of the Immigration Act after it was established that he was in the country illegally.
The suspect is in custody, and investigations are underway to address the full scope of the crime and potential accomplices.
The incident has raised concerns about the security of vehicles in South Africa, particularly those belonging to high-profile individuals. It also highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in tackling cross-border crime.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for heightened security measures and vigilance in protecting valuable assets. It also underscores the importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies in combating transnational crime.
