The seven South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers arrested last week on charges of corruption relating to their service while stationed at the Beitbridge Border Post will have to wait until Friday, 2 July, to see if the State is going to grant them bail.
Initially, six soldiers were arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (better known as the Hawks) on 21 June. They were arrested in the North-West, Northern Cape and the Free State. A seventh accused handed himself over to the authorities later. All were stationed at the Beitbridge Border Post between 2017 and 2019. They had allegedly connived with vehicle-smuggling syndicates to smuggle stolen vehicles through the Limpopo River in exchange for money. In return, the arrested SANDF members would allegedly demand R15 000 per vehicle, which would be shared among themselves.
The arrested soldiers, whose ranks range between Lance-corporal and Private, appeared in the Musina Magistrate's Court on 23 June. Five of the accused hold the rank of Private. They are Edward Lepokolo (48) from Sebokeng, Rapula Reuben Maidi (49) from Ikageng, Bulelani Danti (30) from King Williams Town, Peter Thato Nemane (52) from Soshanguve and Thembani Mjelo (31) from East London. Two accused hold the rank of Lance-corporal. They are Marks Funeka (49) from Carletonville and Ludwe Gwedashe (44) from Port Elizabeth. All seven, who face charges relating to smuggling stolen vehicles into Zimbabwe, were remanded in custody until Monday this week for a formal bail application. On Monday, the bail application was again postponed until Friday this week.
Following the arrest, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, said last week that criminal elements had no place in the SANDF and that those allegedly involved in criminal activities would face the full might of the law without exceptions. She reminded and warned both civilian and uniformed members of the SANDF that ill-discipline and criminality in the military community would not be tolerated and those whose behaviour went against the ethos of the defence force would be dealt with in accordance with the laws of the country, regardless of the level or position in the SANDF.
The above arrests followed just days after two other SANDF soldiers, along with an undocumented Zimbabwean man, were arrested outside Musina for allegedly transporting illegal cigarettes in an SANDF vehicle. The soldiers were in uniform while the civilian was wearing an army jacket. They were arrested next to the Baobab Truck Park along the N1 road north of Musina. When the police searched the army Toyota Land Cruiser, they found 12 boxes of illegal cigarettes concealed at the back of the vehicle, with a street value of about R160 000. The rank and names of the two soldiers are Lieutenant Lucky Jabu Mokoena (38) and Private Siphamandla David Zungu (27). Both are attached to 1 Special Service Battalion in Bloemfontein. Mokoena and Zungu were both granted bail of R3 000 by the Musina Magistrate's Court on 24 June. Their case was postponed until 28 July.