EMANGUZI – The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola has welcomed the conviction of Vusi Amos Zulu Malwane, a cross border vehicle smuggling kingpin that was terrorising communities in Northern KwaZulu-Natal.

44-year-old Malwane has been sentenced to a collective 55 years imprisonment for kidnapping (6 years), robbery with aggravating circumstances (hijacking, 30 years) possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition (15 years).

For more than a decade, Malwane led a syndicate that was behind a spate of motor vehicle hijacking incidents in Emanguzi and surrounding areas. He would thereafter smuggle the vehicles into neighbouring, Mozambique through various borders in the province.

He escaped from lawful custody in 2014 and was rearrested by the Emanguzi cross border operation task team deployed by the National Commissioner to clamp down on cross border crimes, including vehicle theft, on 09 May 2023.

General Masemola says the task team continues to register commendable progress with the arrest of 75 suspects since its deployment four months ago.

“Following our interventions and deployments to the area, 37 vehicles have since been recovered and 27 firearms recovered with 321 rounds of ammunition seized”, said Gen Fannie Masemola.

The Ingwavuma Regional Court also sentenced Malwane to 4 years imprisonment for escaping from lawful custody.

Source: South African Police Service