Hawks sell Mpumalanga drug farm for R4 million as court moves on stock theft bakkie

The Hawks in Mpumalanga are going after the property behind the crime, and two separate cases show what that means in practice: a farm linked to an alleged crystal methamphetamine laboratory that has drawn an accepted offer of more than R4 million, and a bakkie allegedly used to move stolen goats.

The farm case began on 19 September 2025, when SAPS members and other law enforcement agencies carried out a disruptive operation at Oudehoutkloof Farm in Volksrust. A clandestine laboratory allegedly used to manufacture crystal methamphetamine was discovered there. Five Mexican nationals and one South African national were arrested and charged with offences relating to the manufacturing and dealing in drugs, in contravention of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act.

Investigations found the farm comprised three buildings. Two were allegedly used as drug manufacturing facilities and the third served as a dwelling. The property also held 119 sheep, vehicles, tractors, trailers, farming and household equipment, and equipment allegedly used in the illegal manufacturing of drugs.

After a preservation order was granted, a curator was appointed to administer and safeguard the restrained assets. Movable assets were sold at public auctions to preserve their value and fetched R241,249.10. The immovable property, Portion 7 of the farm Oudehoutkloof, was then placed on the market. An offer of R4,001,000 was received and accepted, and a sale agreement was concluded.

The transaction is not yet final. The registered owner filed a notice in terms of Section 39(3), which delayed finalisation. The matter was initially enrolled before court but removed from the roll due to a lack of urgency. It was subsequently re-enrolled and proceeded on an unopposed basis.

In the second matter, the High Court granted a preservation order on 28 September 2026 over a white Toyota Hilux single-cab bakkie allegedly linked to a stock theft case in KwaMhlanga.

That case dates to 3 September 2024, when members of the SAPS KwaMhlanga and Siyabuswa Stock Theft Unit were conducting an operation along the R568 road at about 05:00 and stopped a suspicious white Toyota Hilux occupied by two adult males. When the driver was asked for his driver’s licence, he reportedly said he did not have it with him. Police then asked permission to search the vehicle.

During the search, members found several black and white goats in the load bin, which was covered by a black tonneau cover. The animals appeared distressed, overcrowded and wet, raising concerns about the conditions in which they were being transported. When questioned, the driver allegedly told police the owner had instructed him to transport and sell 12 goats at an auction. The passenger reportedly said the driver had asked him to accompany him to the auction and that he had borrowed his livestock trading certificate.

Both occupants were arrested on charges relating to stock theft. The Toyota Hilux was seized and booked as an exhibit at KwaMhlanga SAPS on suspicion that it had been used in the commission of the offence. The preservation order now places the vehicle under the court’s preservation process.

Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Mpumalanga, Major General Nico Gerber, said the two matters show that the fight against crime extends beyond arrests and court appearances. Properties, vehicles, equipment and other assets suspected of being connected to criminal activities may also face preservation and potential forfeiture proceedings, subject to the law and the outcome of the relevant processes.

The account is drawn from a South African Police Service media statement rather than the underlying court record, so the status of the sale and of the preservation order is as the statement describes it. The statement was issued through Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, and the canonical text is published at https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=71890.