Hawks nail Limpopo businessman with four‑year sentence for R1.3m precious stones theft
The decade-long criminal justice process finally reached its conclusion following what the Hawks called a "meticulous investigation."
Manamalala Stephen Phasha, a businessman from Limpopo, has been sentenced to four years in prison for stealing R1.3 million worth of crushed stones from a road project in Ga-Nkwana Village, Sekhukhune. The case took a decade to reach a conclusion after years of delays and a meticulous investigation by the Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Investigation (SCCI) team in Polokwane.
The theft occurred in 2011, when the crushed stones intended for road construction were unlawfully removed from the project site. The matter was initially reported to the Road Agency Limpopo (RAL) by concerned villagers, leading to the opening of a case by the Hawks and its referral to the SCCI team for investigation. Phasha, operating through Phasha General Trading CC, was found guilty of removing crushed stones valued at nearly R1.3 million without proper authorization or adherence to RAL's processes.
Phasha was arrested in June 2016 and convicted in May 2024. The Hawks' success is attributed to the dedication and perseverance of the investigators, who demonstrated patience and precision in following the evidence to ensure a successful conclusion to the matter.
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