Limpopo Court sentences foreign national to seven years for explosives possession
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A foreign national has been sentenced to seven years’ direct imprisonment for illegal possession of explosives, following a high-profile investigation into serious organised crime in Polokwane.
Guezane Matseque, 35, was convicted by the Modimolle Regional Court on charges of illegal possession of explosives and being in South Africa unlawfully.
The sentence, handed down on March 31, 2026, comes after police uncovered a stash of explosives during a routine traffic stop in June 2025.
According to Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale, the incident occurred on June 1, 2025, when members of the Waterbury Flying Squad stopped a taxi near the Kranskop Plaza.
“During the search, the police found a brown bag in the taxi which was found to be containing explosives,” Mogale said.
Inside the bag, authorities discovered 500 detonator caps, four reels of detonator cord, and four V6 explosives.
Following further investigation, Matseque was identified as the owner of the explosives. He was subsequently arrested and the case referred to the Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI) unit in Polokwane for further investigation.
The court handed Matseque seven years for the possession of explosives and an additional 12 months for being in the country illegally. Both sentences will run concurrently.
The Hawks have emphasised that the conviction is part of broader efforts to combat cash-in-transit robberies and other serious crimes involving explosives.
IOL News