10.4m cigarette bust: Zimbabwean truck driver hit with R10m fine

A Zimbabwean truck driver, Godknows Mangani Demanyundo, has been fined R10 million or received a five-year prison sentence for transporting illicit cigarettes worth over R10.4 million through the Musina–Beitbridge border post in Limpopo. The investigation, conducted by the Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit, was triggered by the detection of the illicit consignment during routine cargo scanning operations at the border crossing between South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Demanyundo was arrested on June 10, 2025, after authorities discovered 500 master boxes, seven cartons, and six packets of Chelsea cigarettes in a tanker. Members of the Local Criminal Record Centre documented the seized goods as evidence before the truck driver's arrest. The Hawks, in collaboration with SARS, SAPS, BMA, and the Local Criminal Record Centre, built a case against Demanyundo, leading to his conviction and sentencing.

The court ordered the forfeiture of the illicit cigarettes, the truck, and the tanker trailer to the state, and declared Demanyundo unfit to possess a firearm. Limpopo Hawks provincial head Major General Advocate Gobz Govender praised the investigating team and law enforcement agencies involved in the successful prosecution, emphasizing the determination to pursue criminal investigations to the end and ensure that those involved in criminal activities face consequences.