A Zimbabwean national was sentenced during a Special Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Welkom.
On Tuesday, 8 October, Tafanzwa Muyambo (41) pleaded guilty to assisting another to benefit from the proceeds of unlawful activities. He was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years on condition that he is not found guilty of contravention of the Prevention of Organized Crime Act (Poca) during the period of suspension.
Muyambo’s sentencing originates from a case that was opened against him and his accomplice, Inoque Muchanga, on 26 November 2021. They were were caught by the Kroonstad police, who were conducting their normal routine stop-and-search operations on the R726 road outside Kroonstad.
They stopped a white Volkswagen Polo driving towards Vredefort with two occupants. Upon searching the vehicle, two bundles of cash to the amount of R1 399 900 were found on the back seat; one in a box covered with plastic, and the other inside a plastic bag. When asked about how they got the money, the pair could not account for it. They then offered to pay the police a gratification of R500 000.
Muyambo and Muchanga were arrested and charged for corruption, money laundering, and contravention of the Immigration Act. The two accused further revealed that the money was a pay-out from illicit cigarettes.
The case was referred to the Welkom-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation team for further investigation, resulting in a forfeiture order being secured by the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Hawks’ Priority Crime Specialised Investigation unit on 8 February 2022. An amount of R1 399 900 has already been paid into the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (Cara).
The case against Muchanga was withdrawn.
