Scrapyard owner arrested for stolen motor vehicles in Mahwelereng

A 31-year-old male suspect and a 52-year-old scrapyard owner have been arrested after being caught with stolen vehicles in Mahwelereng, Limpopo on Monday, 16 February.

This comes after a Nissan 1400 that was reported stolen in Gilead on 09 February 2026 and was believed to be in Mahwelereng. The vehicle was found stripped at a scrapyard along the R518 Marken Road in Masodi Village.

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Some vehicle parts were recovered, and the suspect was apprehended with the assistance of community members. The scrapyard owner was also arrested for possession of stolen vehicle parts.

Preliminary investigations further revealed that the same suspect had been seen driving another suspected stolen vehicle the previous day.

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The vehicle was traced to his workplace at Ga-Madiba Village, where a white VW Polo with North West registration plates was found. Upon further investigation, it was established that the vehicle was cloned, displaying false North West registration details. In contrast, the original vehicle had been reported stolen in Lebowakgomo in December 2025 and was registered in Gauteng.

Both suspects are expected to appear before the Mahwelereng Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.

The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, welcomed the arrests and commended members and the community for their cooperation.