South Africa- Demonstrators in Limpopo have brought Musina and the major highway leading to Zimbabwe to a standstill in protest against a surge in vehicle thefts, carjackings, and smuggling activities.
Despite warnings from the South African Police Service (SAPS), protesters went ahead with the shutdown, organized by villagers in Nieni, just outside Musina.The unrest follows a string of vehicle thefts in Musina, where stolen cars were driven over the dry Limpopo riverbed into Zimbabwe.
On Thursday, provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe issued a stern warning against the protests, declaring that no acts of lawlessness would be tolerated.
“Police in the Vhembe district have recorded notable successes in the fight against cross-border crimes, particularly at borderline stations. Numerous suspects have been arrested, and high-powered vehicles worth millions of rands have been recovered through
ongoing anti-smuggling operations and intensified intelligence-driven efforts across the country. In the Vhembe District alone, 96 high-powered vehicles were recovered, and 61 suspects were intercepted en route to smuggle the vehicles out of the country,” her statement read.
