Two men aged 35 and 40 were sentenced to 24 years each in prison for illegally dealing in explosives at Burgersfort in the Limpopo Province.
Trevor Vhonani Mathava (35) and William Kwebityala Majwede (40) were sentenced by the Burgersfort Regional Court today. In February 2014, the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit received information about people who were selling explosives in the platinum rich Burgersfort area.
The two were arrested on 27 February 2014 following a sting operation by the Hawks members. Several explosive components including shock tube assemblies, detonators and explosive gels were seized during the operation. The explosives were meant for criminal gangs to blast the ATMs and cash in transit vehicles. The accused were out on bail of R5000 bail each during their trial.
The Hawks management has welcomed the conviction of Mathavha and Majwede and it is hoped that the sentences will send a strong message that those who are involved in the illegal supply of explosives will go to jail for a very long time.
