Gideon Gaotingwe Mangope (57), Mahlatse Manyaka (32) and Monnaotsile Christop Lebuowane (38) appeared before the Tlhabane Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 15 January 2024 following their arrest for possession of unwrought gold bearing material.
On Thursday, 11 January 2024, the Rustenburg based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation in collaboration with Bidvest Security responded to the information about the suspects who were alleged to be washing platinum bearing material at the Impala Minpro Processing Plant. The information was operationalised and when the team arrived at the scene, they found the three suspects washing the platinum bearing material inside the batching stations at the floaters where spillage overflowed. The suspects fled the scene when they spotted the police however, the team gave chase and arrested them.
A total of 11 bags containing unwrought gold bearing material were found and seized and the trio was subsequently charged with possession of unwrought gold bearing material. They have been remanded in custody and the case was postponed to Friday, 19 January 2024.
