An undocumented man who stole a South African Police Service (SAPS) crime intelligence vehicle has been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment by the Polokwane Regional Court.
The court handed down the sentence to 40-year-old Simon Andile Nyathi, who was convicted of theft of a motor vehicle as well as contravening South Africa’s Immigration Act. The sentences will run concurrently, resulting in an effective prison term of 15 years.
According to earlier reports, Nyathi was arrested in May 2024 near a fuel station along the N1 freeway in Limpopo. At the time, Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said members of the provincial tracking team had received information about a stolen silver Isuzu double cab.
The tracking team was working in collaboration with Mighty Security and Tshimollo Security and Investigation when they located the vehicle. Police later confirmed that the bakkie belonged to the SAPS crime intelligence unit and had been reported stolen in Soshanguve, Gauteng, on 2 May 2024.
Following the recovery of the vehicle, Nyathi was arrested and charged with theft of a motor vehicle and contravention of the Immigration Act. Investigators established that he was undocumented and unlawfully present in the country at the time of his arrest.
The case docket was assigned to Sergeant Mmalesetja Senyatsi of the Polokwane Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit, who conducted further investigations leading to Nyathi’s conviction.
During sentencing, the court imposed 15 years’ imprisonment for the theft of the SAPS vehicle and an additional two years for violating immigration laws. The decision for the sentences to run concurrently means Nyathi will serve a total of 15 years behind bars.
Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe welcomed the court’s ruling, praising both the investigating officer and the arresting teams for their determination and coordinated efforts.
“This sentence sends a strong message that the theft of police vehicles and violations of immigration laws will not be tolerated,” she said, commending the collaboration between SAPS and private security partners.
The case follows a similar incident reported in Limpopo earlier this year. In June, the Mokopane Regional Court sentenced 37-year-old Zimbabwean national Joseph Kungwengwe to six years of direct imprisonment after he was found in possession of a stolen Toyota Corolla Cross.
Police have reiterated their commitment to tackling vehicle theft syndicates and enforcing immigration laws, particularly in cases involving state-owned vehicles and cross-border crime.
