The Richmond Regional Court has sentenced 35-year-old Chimwemwe Mohakey to seven years’ direct imprisonment for the theft of a motor vehicle valued at more than R500,000.
The accused was arrested on Monday, 16 February 2026, in Richmond after being linked to the theft of a motor vehicle at a car wash in Cape Town on Sunday, 15 February 2026.
Members of the Richmond South African Police Service (SAPS) acted on intelligence-driven information regarding a suspected stolen bakkie that had been found abandoned on the N1 near Three Sisters. Further investigations led police to a workshop in Richmond, where the suspect was traced and arrested for possession of a suspected stolen vehicle.
The vehicle was seized by police and was later positively identified by the rightful owner. A case of possession of a suspected stolen vehicle registered in Richmond was subsequently linked to a case of motor vehicle theft that had been registered at Mfuleni Police Station in Cape Town.
The accused appeared in the Richmond court on several occasions. On Wednesday, 20 May 2026, Mohakey made his final court appearance, where he was found guilty of theft of a motor vehicle. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.