R10m Fine or 5 Years in Jail for Zimbabwean Truck Driver Caught Smuggling Cigarettes at Beitbridge

A Zimbabwean truck driver has been sentenced to a R10 million fine or five years in prison after being convicted of transporting illicit cigarettes worth more than R10.4 million through the Musina–Beitbridge Port of Entry.

Godknows Mangani Demanyundo, 54, was sentenced by the Giyani Magistrates’ Court following an investigation led by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit in Musina.

According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), Demanyundo was arrested on 10 June 2025 after illicit Chelsea cigarettes were discovered concealed inside a tanker during routine cargo scanning operations at the border.

The cigarettes were uncovered after a South African Revenue Service (SARS) cargo analyst noticed suspicious images during the scanning process and alerted the team leader, who then notified the police.

A joint physical inspection by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Border Management Authority (BMA) officials uncovered 500 master boxes, seven cartons and six packets of Chelsea cigarettes valued at more than R10.4 million.

Read | Truck Driver Jailed 15 Years for Smuggling Explosives Through Beitbridge

The Local Criminal Record Centre documented the exhibits for evidential purposes before the Hawks took over the investigation, which ultimately led to Demanyundo’s conviction.

Truck and tanker trailer forfeited to the State

The consequences extended beyond the hefty fine or possible prison sentence.

The court ordered the forfeiture of the illicit cigarettes, together with the truck and tanker trailer used to transport the consignment, to the State.

Demanyundo was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

The case involved cooperation between SARS, SAPS, the BMA, the Local Criminal Record Centre and the Hawks.

Limpopo Provincial Head of the DPCI, Major General (Adv.) Gobz Govender, commended the investigation team and the participating agencies for their work in securing the conviction.

“An arrest is not the end of the investigation. The Hawks will follow the evidence until justice takes its course. No border will shield those who profit from crime,” Govender said.

The case highlights the role of cargo scanning and joint border inspections in detecting illicit goods moving through South Africa’s busiest land-border routes.