Bethal Magistrate’s Court sends man to prison for posession of a stolen car
Dzimba was arrested in November last year after he had bought a 2021 Land Rover Defender for R250 00 0 from a 32-year-old man.
The Bethal Magstrate’s Court sentenced Elmon Benjamin Dzimba (57) on October 14 to six years direct imprisonment on a charge of possession of stolen property (motor vehicle).
Dzimba was arrested in November last year after he had bought a 2021 Land Rover Defender for R250 00 0 from a 32-year-old man.
This vehicle was, however, reported stolen.
According to Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, Mpumalanga Police spokesman, the car theft case was registered with Midrand Police last year when the client of a car rental company failed to return the Defender.
The client rented the green Land Rover Defender for three days from October 30, 2021, to November 1, 2021. He failed to return the rented vehicle although he had paid for the car and the rental agreement had been signed by both parties.
“The vehicle was fitted with a tracking devices and on November 8 an investigator from Avis Car Rental was tasked to trace the client and rental vehicle.
“The investigator contacted Cartrack and it was discovered that the tracking device was compromised or malfunctioning. The Mixtelematix device indicated that the vehicle was somewhere in Bethal,” said Mohlala.
A recovery team found the Land Rover Defender at a business premises in Bethal.
“Local police were summoned to the scene. They found the vehicle and the driver, but the registration number plates, as well as licence disk, were changed,” said Mohlala.
An employee from the Avis recovery team was in position of a spare key to the vehicle which he used to unlock the car.
The accused was then arrested for further investigation revealed that client who rented the motor vehicle worth about R1 million had allegedly sold it to the accused.
“The client who rented the Defender was arrested in Gauteng and granted bail of R5 000.
“He last appeared at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on July 15 and his case has been provisionally withdrawn, awaiting for transcripts from Bethal,” explained Mohlala.
The provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, has appreciated the work done by investigators from both the tracker company (Avis) and the SAPS in making sure that the perpetrator is brought to book and behind bars.
“This should be a lesson to all those who buy stolen goods” warned the General.
