Border post officials sentenced to 15 years of direct imprisonment

The Musina Regional Court on Monday, 22 April, sentenced two Beitbridge border post officials to an effective fifteen years of direct imprisonment after finding them guilty on charges of fraud, forgery, and two counts of corruption.

The accused were Nthapeleng Adler Munyai (47), a former manager of Pamdozi Cargo International CC Clearing Agent, and Tsumbedzo Priscilla Nemangani Mashito (47), a former SARS customs external verification officer at the Musina Beitbridge Border Post. Evidence presented in court detailed how the incident on 14 March 2016 unfolded.

The accused allowed a truck, carrying two trailers loaded with 614 boxes of semi-manufactured tobacco valued at over R6 million, to enter the country from Zimbabwe using forged consignment clearance documents. They permitted the truck to bypass the usual customs clearance procedures at the border.

The truck was subsequently stopped at the Musina Weighbridge by a Road Traffic Management Cooperation (RTMC) officer. Noticing discrepancies between the registration number plates and the license disks, the officer suspected irregularities and contacted a senior colleague who was off duty to intervene, resulting in the truck being escorted back to the customs ramp by police and traffic officials.

During the proceedings, it was revealed that Munyai attempted to bribe traffic officials at the weighbridge with R50,000 to avoid redirecting the truck to the customs inspection area. Despite the implications, he further offered R200,000 to a customs official to forgo any inspection of the truck when it was returned to Beitbridge. Mashito, who had just returned from leave and switched her duty shift, was instrumental in processing the truck and its consignment outside the standard customs procedures, thereby misrepresenting her employer, SARS.

In sentencing, the presiding judge highlighted that the aggravating circumstances significantly outweighed any mitigating factors, noting the absence of substantial and compelling reasons to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence. Consequently, both accused were sentenced to an effective 15 years of direct imprisonment. Additionally, the truck, its two trailers, and the 614 boxes of tobacco were forfeited to the state.

Advocate Ivy Thenga, the Director of Public Prosecutions, welcomed the sentences, considering them adequate as a deterrent to potential perpetrators of similar offences. She also commended the integrity of the government officials who resisted the substantial bribes offered by the accused.

Date:25 April 2024

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