Limpopo businessman jailed for R1.3m crushed‑stone theft

A Limpopo businessman has been sentenced to four years in prison after investigators found he removed crushed stones worth about R1.3 million from a road construction site.

Case reaches conclusion after decade‑long process

The Sekhukhune Regional Court handed down sentence on 12 August 2026 in a matter that began with the unlawful removal of crushed stones from a road project in Ga‑Nkwana Village, Sekhukhune, in 2011.

Investigation and convictions

The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team in Polokwane took up the case after the Road Agency Limpopo (RAL) reported concerns about stones removed from the construction site. The Hawks described the probe as a “meticulous investigation.”

Investigators established that Manamalala Stephen Phasha (65), operating through Phasha General Trading CC, had removed crushed stones valued at approximately R1.3 million without required authorisation or compliance with RAL processes. Phasha was arrested by the Hawks on 1 June 2016 and was convicted on 13 May 2024.

Sentence and additional orders

On 12 August 2026 the court sentenced Phasha to four years’ direct imprisonment for theft of crushed concrete stones. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Police praise investigators

Limpopo Provincial Head of the DPCI, Major General (Adv) Gopz Govender, commended the investigators for their work. He said the sentence shows that complex commercial crime investigations require patience, precision and determination.

“This sentence is a clear demonstration that complex commercial crime investigations require patience, precision and determination. Our investigators remained committed to the matter and carefully followed the evidence and ensured that the investigation was brought to a successful conclusion,” Govender said.

What happened next

The sentence on 12 August 2026 brought the decade‑long criminal justice process to a close.