Twenty-eight more vehicles were impounded by North West Public Safety Traffic authorities around Mahikeng on Wednesday bringing to 60 the number of vehicles found to have been illegally imported into South Africa from neighbouring countries.
In recognising the success of the operation dubbed Enough is Enough over the past two days, North West MEC for Public Safety, Howard Yawa said that the special operation to clamp down on illegal importing of vehicleswill be extended throughout the province to protect the local economy particularly the motor industry and curb illegal transportation of passengers and goods.
The joint operation by the Provincial Public Safety traffic officials and South African Revenue Service (SARS) Custom Unit found that the vehicles, mostly from Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland were allegedly imported without payment of levies, custom duties and Valued Added Tax(Vat).
Motorists whose vehicles were impounded were fined R1 500 and given seven days to exports the vehicles back to their countries of origin. Failure to export the vehicles within the period will result in the vehicles being seized by SARS Custom Unit and either auctioned and or crashed.
MEC Yawa has warned locals against buying and illegally importing vehicles that do not meet the safety standards of the South African Bureau of Standards as they risk losing their savings through such illegal transactions.
The North West has recently experienced a proliferation of the illegally imported vehicles and their use in illegal transportation of passengers and goods hence it embarked on operation dubbed Enough is Enough.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 381 9171
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: 018 381 9123
E-mail: LKgwele@nwpg.gov.za
