A 28-year-old taxi driver, Nhlanhla Mkhabela, was remanded in custody after his brief appearance before the Nkomazi Magistrate's Court on charges of possession of stolen property in Mpumalanga.
Mkhabela was arrested while driving a taxi full of passengers last week, after a tracking company alerted police about the signal of a stolen trailer which was picked up on the N4 at Malelane.
The trailer was allegedly stolen in Johannesburg, according to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.
“Police intercepted the taxi. When the trailer was searched, police made a shocking discovery when it was found loaded with a corpse in the coffin,” said Mohlala.
According to information from police, the deceased person was eventually transported to Mozambique for burial.
“Mkhabela was arrested for possession of suspected stolen property and appeared in Nkomazi Magistrate's Court on Friday where he was remanded in custody for bail application scheduled for Monday, August 7,” said Mohlala.
He said additional arrangements were made with a local funeral parlour for the corpse to be transported to its final destination, in Mozambique.
Meanwhile, provincial commissioner in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has commended the partnership displayed by the tracking company and police, which led to the recovery of the stolen trailer.
“Disturbing as it is that the bereaved family had to undergo such a traumatic situation, we cannot guarantee that the trailer was going to come back to the country, as it was reported stolen,” said Manamela.
IOL