The Kimberley High Court has granted multiple preservation orders to the Hawks’ Priority Crime Specialised Investigation unit and the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit, securing assets worth more than R1 million in the Northern Cape.
According to Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Tebogo Thebe, the preservation orders ensure that seized property cannot be sold or hidden while investigations are underway.
Key seizures included:
A Volkswagen Polo, worth R90,000, confiscated in Douglas after police discovered 202 mandrax tablets and 10 kilograms of dagga inside.
A Toyota light delivery vehicle, valued at R50,000, seized near Upington with six bags of dagga.
A GWM single-cab bakkie, worth R115,300, stopped in Vosburg for transporting sheep without permits.
A Volkswagen Polo, valued at R196,900, seized in De Aar after suspects tried to con the public with fake gemstones.
An Isuzu bakkie, worth R35,000, impounded in Severn while carrying 16 stolen goats.
A Toyota bakkie, valued at R85,000, confiscated in Kuruman with kudu and gemsbok carcasses but no legal documentation.
In addition, former Williston Municipality finance employee Arina Botha was convicted of diverting public funds to her personal accounts. A confiscation order of R558,956 was issued against her, and the payment was recovered through her attorneys.
Acting provincial head of the Hawks, Brigadier De Witt Botha, welcomed the outcome, saying:
“These orders show our determination to ensure that crime does not pay. Criminals will not enjoy the proceeds of their actions — we will hit them where it hurts most.”
With these seizures and court-ordered recoveries, law enforcement has effectively frozen or recovered assets exceeding R1 million in the province.