
Fake hijackings uncovered after stripped Porsche discovery in Nirvana
The twist comes after the recent recovery of a stripped luxury Porsche Cayenne and a Toyota Tazz at a workshop in Nirvana, as reported by the Polokwane Review-Observer last week.
Read more: PHOTOS: Stripped Porsche recovered in Nirvana chop shop raid
The Porsche, reported hijacked in Zebediela in May, was found dismantled in a workshop in Nelson Mandela Drive on July 9, during a joint operation led by the Limpopo Tracking Team, Tracker Connect, and other private security partners.
The Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said further investigations revealed that the vehicle's owner, Paballo Masokameng (37), had allegedly faked the hijacking.
'The suspect claimed he was robbed by three unknown men after offering them a lift, a story now exposed as false. Masokameng is accused of removing and selling parts of the Porsche himself before arranging for it to be transported to the Nirvana workshop for full stripping,' Ledwaba's statement read.
He added that Masokameng was arrested and charged with fraud, perjury, and defeating the ends of justice and appeared in the Polokwane Magistrate's Court yesterday.
He returns to court today for a formal bail.
In a connected case, Ledwaba said Emmanuel Boshomane (37), a TVET College lecturer, was also arrested for falsely reporting the hijacking of his Toyota Tazz, which was recovered at the same workshop.
Ledwaba said Boshomane was persuaded by Masokameng to stage the hijacking and hand over the vehicle, which was later resprayed and fitted with false number plates.
Boshomane was charged with fraud, perjury, and defeating the ends of justice. He was granted R500 bail on July 15, and is expected back in court on August 27.
'The workshop owner, Mustafar Hussain (49), a Tanzanian national, remains in custody. He is charged with possession of suspected stolen motor vehicles and is set to appear in court for a bail application tomorrow (July 16),' Ledwaba added.
The provincial police commissioner, Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe, has condemned the misuse of police resources.
'We will uncover the truth, no matter how elaborate the scheme. Those who attempt to deceive the police or commit insurance fraud will be arrested and prosecuted,' she said.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The South African
41 minutes ago
- The South African
A win for NPA after disgraced advocate found guilty
Senior Counsel, Seth Nthai, was found guilty of corruption by the Johannesburg High Court. He admitted to soliciting a R5 million bribe from Italian businessman, Mario Marcenaro, in October 2009. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the court's decision . Following Nthai's guilty plea, the court accepted a sentence agreement of a R500 000 fine or two years of direct imprisonment. 'In addition, he received a five-year suspended sentence, wholly suspended for five years on the condition that he is not convicted of a similar offence during the suspension period,' said the NPA. The court acknowledged the seriousness of Nthai's offence. His guilty plea and age were also named as contributors of the final decision and sentencing. It was also highlighted that the complainant in the matter was the Government of the Republic of South Africa. 'The bribe was intended to influence the outcome of the Piero Foresti and others vs the Government of the Republic of South Africa international arbitration case,' said the NPA. At the time, Nthai was the government's legal representative. According to the NPA, investigations revealed that he disclosed confidential information of the case to Marcenaro. The information included legal strategies, defences and possible outcomes. The court heard that Nthai promised to influence the government to secure a favourable settlement for Marcenaro and other claimants. Despite receiving the information, Macenaro never paid the R5 million bribe however. The NPA said they remain committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring accountability. Additionally they said they will continue to pursue those who compromise the integrity of state institutions and the justice system for personal gain. 'Unethical conduct and the abuse of public trust, regardless of status, position or influence will not be tolerated,' concluded the NPA. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

TimesLIVE
9 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Disbarred advocate, ex-Limpopo MEC Seth Nthai sentenced for corruption
Disbarred advocate and former Limpopo safety MEC Seth Nthai has been sentenced to two years behind bars or a fine of R500,000 after he pleaded guilty to corruption. Nthai tried to solicit a R5m bribe from Italian businessman Mario Vittorrio Marcenaro and his associates 16 years ago. On Wednesday Nthai entered into a plea agreement with the state in the Johannesburg high court. He was then found guilty and sentenced. The court ordered him to pay the first R50,000 immediately after the order. Thereafter he would pay R50,000 monthly until March 2026. In exchange for the R5m gratification he offered to accept from Marcenaro, he would use his influence to get the government to agree to settle the matter [dispute] with each party paying its own costs Court documents At the time he asked for a bribe, Nthai was representing the government, which was locked in a mining dispute with Italian businesses. According to the state, not only did Nthai solicit a bribe, but he also disclosed the merits of the government's case, defences, technical strategies, possible settlement and possible reward if the case was settled in favour of Marcenaro or other claimants of the case. 'In exchange for the R5m gratification he offered to accept from Marcenaro, he would use his influence to get the government to agree to settle the matter [dispute] with each party paying its own costs,' according to court documents. Nthai was disbarred in 2013 but later readmitted by the Limpopo High Court which found depression and anxiety could explain his attempt to solicit a R5m bribe. The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) later overturned his readmission to the bar and referred the ruling to the National Prosecuting Authority to consider possible criminal charges. The SCA at the time ruled that on his own version there was no escape from the fact that his attempt to solicit a bribe constituted a serious crime, for which he was not charged.

IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Man arrested for killing 13-month-old baby and injuring mother in Mankweng
A 13-month-old baby girl tragically killed in Mankweng after being run over by a pickup van driven by her mother's ex-boyfriend. Image: Supplied A 35-year-old man has been arrested in Mankweng, Limpopo, for allegedly killing a 13-month-old baby girl and severely injuring her mother by deliberately driving over them with a pickup van. The horrific incident occurred on the evening of July 26, around 8.05pm, when the mother and her baby were reportedly waiting for a taxi to Segopye village. Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba says the suspect, believed to be the woman's ex-boyfriend, approached them and 'started to have a heated argument with her.' Despite the escalating confrontation, a taxi soon arrived and the woman, clutching her child, quickly boarded. However, the drama didn't end there. As they were en route, the taxi driver reportedly warned the mother that a pickup van was following closely behind. When they got off at Marothi (Makwalaneng) Cross, tragedy struck. 'Her ex-boyfriend, driving the van at a high speed, drove over them without stopping,' said Ledwaba. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Both the mother and her child were rushed to Mankweng Hospital with serious injuries. Tragically, the baby girl later succumbed to her injuries, while the mother sustained significant leg wounds. Police have since registered a case of murder and attempted murder. The suspect appeared in the Mankweng Magistrate's Court on Monday. Ledwaba confirmed that the 'investigation is still ongoing' and urged the public to come forward with any information that might assist the case. IOL News