MPUMALANGA – Eurico Zandamela, a 46-year-old Mozambican national forfeited sportswear worth more than R12 million.
Zandamela was arrested at Lebombo Port of Entry after he attempted to smuggle counterfeit goods from Mozambique to South Africa on 23 February 2024.
The driver, Zandamela, was the lone occupant of the truck. He allegedly colluded with a 32-year-old South African security guard, Sibusiso Ngwenya, who allegedly tried to assist Zandamela to bypass the system. Ngwenya, a security guard working for the security company that is contracted at the Port of Entry.
The Port of Entry employees smelled a rat that illicit activities were underway when the truck was directed to queue on the line of the unloaded vehicles. The officials decided to search the truck and found different brands of counterfeit sportswear, including Adidas, Nike, Diesel, CAT, Puma, LaPorte, New balance, and Redbat. The recovered items valued at R12 526 544 were concealed in the truck trailer.
Both the driver and the security guard were arrested and items seized. The case was handed over to the Hawks Nelspruit based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation for further handling. Zandamela and Ngwenya were released on R5 000 bail each.
On Tuesday, 30 September 2025, Zandamela pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a fine of R150 000.00- or three-months imprisonment by the Mbombela Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Half of his sentence was suspended for five years on condition that he is not found guilty of the similar offense. All the recovered counterfeit goods were forfeited to the state.
Ngwenya pleaded not guilty, and his case was postponed to 11 December 2025 to prove his innocence.
The Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Mpumalanga, Major General Nico Gerber, commended the Port of Entry officials for working as a team “People who bring counterfeit goods including foodstuff and medicines in the country are the ones collapsing our economy and put people’s livelihood at risk,” concluded the General.
Foreign National fined R150 000 for smuggling over R12 Million worth of counterfeit goodshttps://t.co/oFHvwZLhCg#ArriveAlive #CounterfeitGoods @SAPoliceService pic.twitter.com/95mxzaOCri
– Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) September 30, 2025
