VREDE – A Zimbabwean national, Felix Magatu (43), who stands accused of damage to an essential Transnet pipeline and theft of crude oil, is set to go on trial alone in the Vrede Regional Court on 19 and 20 January. His co-accused and countryman Shepard Vareni (38) is already serving 14 years’ imprisonment.
This case reached this stage following an investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit in the Free State. The Zimbabwean men were arrested by private security personnel on 25 September 2023.
The court sentenced Vareni recently on 17 November to seven years each on the charge of damage to essential infrastructure and the charge of theft of crude oil. Found to have been undocumented in South Africa, he was charged with contravention of the Immigration Act and fined R5,000 or three months’ imprisonment. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Lt Col Zweli Mohobeleli, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said the security personnel received an alert about crude oil theft in progress from the network on a farm near Memel town. “Assisted by the local police, the security officers chased and arrested two suspects and recovered two vehicles. An investigation discovered that the suspects had tampered with a Transnet pipeline and stolen crude oil,” said Mohobeleli. He said the accused had been remanded in custody since their arrest.
Brazen crime syndicates continue targeting South Africa’s strategic underground network of high-pressure pipelines, transporting essential liquid fuels (petrol, diesel, jet fuel, crude oil). Concerted effort by Law enforcement agencies in the Free State has resulted in significant convictions and sentences in 2022.
Accused were handed sentences varying from financial penalties to harsh imprisonment. Norman Tsvito and Tafadzwa Nhire received 15 years and 20 years’ imprisonment, respectively. Upon arresting Nhire in 2020, the Hawks discovered a truck and two tankers containing 58,681 litres of diesel, with an estimated value of more than R800,000. Other accused individuals were handed down lesser sentences in the form of a fine of R1,000 each. They were Cliff Mtantho, Beckham Mtando and George Katumba.
