BELA-BELA – A 34-year-old male suspect was arrested after he apparently stole a grader worth more than R2 million and was found driving around with it.

This follows an incident on Monday 18 May when a 64-year-old employee attached to the Limpopo Department of Public Works was busy working with a grader along the R33 public road outside Bela-Bela when he was stopped by two unknown male suspects who were walking.

The duo pretended to seek assistance with the cleaning of a site, but the driver of the grader declined. One suspect pointed a firearm at him, after which he was dragged to the bushes and both his hands and feet were tied.

One male suspect left the scene, and the second suspect remained guarding the elderly victim with a firearm. The victim then heard the grader being driven away from the scene.

He was guarded until the evening when he heard a motor vehicle stopping along the road and the second suspect left him still tied up. The suspect then left the scene in an unknown motor vehicle.

The victim managed to get assistance from members of the Community Policing Forum (CPF) who were searching for him in the vicinity.

Swift response leads to recovery

Subsequently, the grader worth more than R2 million was found being driven by a 34-year-old male suspect who was placed under arrest in the Siyabuswa policing area.

The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has applauded the joint initiative and swift response from members of the South African Police Service’s Sekhukhune Tracking Team, Tracker Company, rural safety structures, a private security company and the CPF.

The suspect is due to appear before the Bela-Bela Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo today, Wednesday 20 May, on charges of hijacking, kidnapping and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

Police investigations are continuing.

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