The Modimolle Regional Court has sentenced Guezane Matseque, a 35-year-old foreign national, to an effective seven years of direct imprisonment for illegal possession of explosives and contravention of the Immigration Act.
The sentence was handed down on March 31, 2026.
Matseque received seven years for illegal possession of explosives and 12 months for being in the country illegally. Both sentences are to run concurrently.
The case originated from an incident on June 1, 2025, when members of the Waterbury Flying Squad stopped a taxi near the Kranskop plaza for a search. Officers found a brown bag inside the vehicle containing 500 detonator caps, four reels of detonator cord, and four V6 explosives.
The suspect was identified following inquiries into ownership of the bag and was arrested at the scene. The case was subsequently referred to the Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI) unit in Polokwane for further investigation.