Zimbabwean man jailed five years in South Africa over stolen Ford Ranger

MUSINA, Aug. 27 (NewsDay Live) — A 28-year-old Zimbabwean man, Cosmas Rutsito, has been sentenced to five years in prison by the Musina Magistrate’s Court after being convicted of possessing a stolen Ford Ranger Wildtrak.

Rutsito was sentenced on Monday after police recovered the vehicle, which had been reported stolen in Gauteng province in December last year.

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), police received information from a reliable source on Dec. 5, 2025, that a suspected stolen vehicle was parked at Mushongoville in Musina.

“Police immediately responded to the information and found the vehicle at the identified address,” SAPS said.

Checks established that the Ford Ranger had been reported stolen in the Elsburg policing area in Gauteng on Nov. 30, 2025.

Rutsito was arrested at the scene and remained in custody after the State successfully opposed bail.

The case was initially allocated to Constable Machebele before being transferred to Constable Ngozo Florence Mavis of the Musina Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit.

SAPS said Rutsito remained in custody until his sentencing on Monday, when the court imposed five years’ direct imprisonment.

The sentences imposed on him were ordered to run concurrently, resulting in an effective five-year jail term.

SAPS said the conviction formed part of ongoing efforts to curb vehicle-related crime in Musina, a key border corridor between South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Police urged members of the public to continue providing information that could assist in recovering stolen vehicles and apprehending suspects.

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