Stolen South African cars are being smuggled daily to neighbouring countries, as The South African has covered previously. It’s become so prevalent that towns bordering the Mozambique and Zimbabwe border are being overrun with ‘outlaw’ smugglers.

Now, She Corresponds Africa reports that criminal elements are working with the police and Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) to get vehicles across the border and sold with forged paperwork to unsuspecting buyers.

STOLEN SOUTH AFRICAN CARS

According to the report, roughly three cases per week are brought forward by the National Prosecuting

Tracker officials together with the SANDF and members of the local community recovered a Ford Ranger which had been abandoned in the Limpopo River while crossing to Zimbabwe. The vehicle was confirmed to have been stolen in Durban. >MN @DOD_SANDF @_SANDF_ @Abramjee @stolencarRSA pic.twitter.com/Co02ZpptGG

— Tracker South Africa (@Tracker_SA) January 31, 2020

Authority for Zim motorists in possession of stolen South African cars. In 2022, over 200 high-end stolen South African cars were seized and impounded by Zim authorities.

Specifically, a popular smuggling route is over the dried-up Limpopo River. And that’s why vehicles with high ground clearance, like SUVs and bakkies, are more popular. As low-slung luxury sedans often get stuck. In which case, beached cars are put on sleds and pulled across by donkeys. When the river is flowing, cars often become submerged and float away downriver.

A major suspect believed to be the ringleader in the Limpopo-Zimbabwe smuggling syndicate was arrested recently. The Special Investigations Unit (SIU), or Hawks, nabbed Raymond Tshabalala (28). Likewise, nine members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) believed to be part of the smuggling ring were arrested back in 2021.

Furthermore, villagers living near the Limpopo River crossing report as many as three stolen South African cars per day are dragged across the river. Most concerning is the fact that insiders in the Zimbabwean CVR have the necessary paperwork ready to go by the time the vehicles reach Bulawayo or Harare. Getting a new licence/VIN number, often from a written-off vehicle of similar spec, costs as little as $100.

LOSING THE FIGHT

Last month, SAPS boss Bheki Cele praised the recovery of 64 stolen vehicles and 140 arrests. This is after one full year of the cross-border task force with Mozambique. However, SAPS reported 5 511 cars hijacked or stolen in the last three months, which is 1 800 per month, or 60 every day. So, there is clearly much more work that needs to be done to stop the flow of stolen South African cars out of the country.

LONDON — Arsenal maintained its pursuit of the Premier League title with a 3-0 win over Bournemouth that lifted Mikel Arteta’s team four points clear of second-place Manchester City on Saturday.

City can reduce the gap back to one point by beating Wolverhampton later and still has another game in hand.

Bukayo Saka converted a penalty in the 45th minute after a trip on Kai Havertz before Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice added second-half goals at Emirates Stadium to secure Arsenal’s fourth straight victory in the league.

Arsenal, seeking its first league title since 2004, has two matches still to play — at Manchester United and home against Everton.

Havertz won the penalty in the 42nd minute after running onto a through-ball and rounding Mark Travers, only for the goalkeeper to clip the Germany international’s trailing leg.

Saka made it six from six from the penalty spot this season with what was Arsenal’s 16th shot of the match at that point.

Bournemouth came into the game more in the second half but lost hope when Rice teed up Trossard, who curled in a low shot from inside the area in the 70th.

Rice ran onto Gabriel Jesus’ pass and scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time to wrap up the win.

At 2-0, Ryan Christie had a goal for Bournemouth disallowed for a push on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya by Dominic Solanke in the buildup, with a VAR check not changing the decision of the on-field referee.

Source: AP

STUTTGART, Germany — Bayern Munich left back Raphaël Guerreiro was injured early in the team’s Bundesliga game at Stuttgart on Saturday, a blow for the Bavarian powerhouse ahead of its Champions League semifinal at Real Madrid.

The Portugal international went off in the 17th minute after stretching too far for the ball. It seemed to be a muscular injury.

Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel made six changes from the team that drew 2-2 with Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, with Guerreiro, among those starting. The player made a good impression after going on at halftime in the first leg on Tuesday.

Alphonso Davies, Aleksander Pavlovic, Serge Gnabry, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Mathys Tel also started in place of Noussair Mazraoui, Konrad Laimer, Leon Goretzka, Thomas Müller and Leroy Sané (all substitutes) as well as Jamal Musiala (not in squad).

Bayern visits Madrid on Wednesday. The winner of the two-leg semifinal will play either Borussia Dortmund or Paris Saint-Germain in the final in London on June 1.