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A KwaZulu-Natal truck driver has been jailed for an effective 12 years after he pleaded guilty to theft of chrome that was meant to be exported.
Dumezweni Dlamini, 37, was sentenced in the Richards Bay Regional Court this week.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said Dlamini pleaded guilty to theft of chrome as well as having a radio jamming device.
Explaining the case, NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Dlamini worked as a truck driver for the complainant, Nashee Singh.
“On April 8, 2024, Dlamini was delivering a load of chrome, valued at approximately R250,000 from Mpumalanga to the Richards Bay Port, for export purposes.
“The truck he was driving (a horse and trailer side tipper) was fitted with a tracking device.”
The NPA said on arrival at the port in Richards Bay, he met his co-accused, Mlungisi Nxumalo, 40, who offered him R15,000 for the load.
“Dlamini then exited the port without offloading the chrome.
“The men used a radio jamming device to disarm the tracker signal so that Singh could not see the location of the truck.”
The truck was then driven to an unauthorised site in the nearby Enseleni area.
The NPA said police officers belonging to the Vulumgodi National Task Team were on the lookout for the truck and they traced it and found it at Enseleni, just after the chrome was offloaded.
“Dlamini and Nxumalo were arrested at the scene.”
While Dlamini opted to plead guilty, Nxumalo pleaded not guilty.
Nxumalo will return to court on November 22.
The NPA said during aggravation of sentencing, State advocate Mandlenkosi Mtukushe told the court that South Africa is grey-listed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as a result of illicit flows of money (proceeds of crimes) borne out of illicit trade of mineral resources such as chrome, among other things.
“These crimes have an adverse effect on the country’s economy which makes investors hesitant to invest in the country, thus negatively impacting the fiscus,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
She said Dlamini was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for theft of chrome and two years imprisonment for possession of a radio jamming device.
“Both sentences were ordered to run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 12 years imprisonment.”
In welcoming the sentence, the NPA said crimes of this nature are becoming prevalent.
IOL News