Africa-Press – Malawi. A luxury Toyota Land Cruiser 300 VX worth over K300 million that was stolen from a car hire company in Harare, Zimbabwe, has resurfaced in Lilongwe, Malawi — fitted with official import papers, police clearance, and registration documents.
The shocking revelation, uncovered through an investigation by the Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ), has exposed what appears to be a cross-border vehicle smuggling ring that utilizes falsified documents and compromised systems to transport high-end vehicles across southern Africa.
The Car That Vanished
According to PIJ, the vehicle belonged to AfroTrails Car Hire, a Zimbabwean luxury car rental company owned by businessman Nesbert Mukora. The car was hired out in mid-April to a South African woman identified as Jolene Margaret Janse Van Vuuren, who never returned it.
“They paid a deposit through Mukuru, presented proper documents, and said they were tourists going to Kariba,” said Desire Nyakurwa, AfroTrails’ sales representative. “We had no reason to suspect them. Then suddenly, their phone was off, and the car tracker stopped working.”
Private investigations later revealed that the vehicle had crossed the border through Mozambique before entering Malawi, where it was sold to a local businessman.
Malawian businessman Yolam Kawanga, who operates in the entertainment, real estate, and construction sectors, confirmed to PIJ that he bought the car from Van Vuuren.
In a written statement filed in court, Kawanga said:
“By a written agreement dated 25 April 2025, I bought motor vehicle registration number LT07MGGP, a Toyota Land Cruiser, from Miss Jolene M. Janse Van Vuuren at the price of about US$50,000.”
Kawangastated that the seller provided all necessary documents, including the original South African registration certificate and a Temporary Importation Permit (TIP) issued by the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) at the Dedza Border Post.
He further claimed that he took the vehicle to the Interpol Desk of the Malawi Police Service at Area 30, where it was verified and cleared as not being stolen.
“I was given an official police clearance certificate to that effect,” Kawanga said. “I bought the car in good faith as a bona fide purchaser.”
However, the Land Cruiser was later seized by police after Zimbabwean authorities traced it to Lilongwe and alleged it was stolen property.
Too Fast to Be True
Documents reviewed by PIJ show that both the MRA import permit and the Interpol clearance certificate were issued on 25 April 2025, the same day the car arrived in Malawi and was allegedly sold to Kawanga.
Both documents were issued in Van Vuuren’s name, not in Kawanga’s.
Investigators say it is almost impossible for a vehicle to be imported, cleared, and sold all within the same day — raising suspicions of possible collusion within Malawi’s border and law enforcement systems.
One retired customs officer told PIJ, “You can’t process all that in one day unless someone pushes it through internally. It suggests inside help.”
South African Police Step In
As the case unfolded, the South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed that most of the documents used in the transaction were forged or stolen.
In a sworn statement obtained by PIJ, Captain Jeffry Barry Lucas, from the SAPS International Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit, said the registration certificate used for the vehicle was reported stolen under Pretoria Central Case 220/08/2024.
“The border clearance letter was fake. WesBank confirmed they never issued it,” Lucas wrote. “The ID number and temporary driver’s licence linked to the vehicle were also stolen.”
Captain Lucas further revealed that Jolene Van Vuuren has two outstanding arrest warrants — one in Namibia and another in South Africa — both for theft of motor vehicles.
“Her modus operandi is to hire luxury cars from rental companies, alter their details, and smuggle them across borders for resale,” Lucas stated.
The Legal Twist
After the vehicle was recovered by Malawi Police in Area 47, two suspects — Tendai Mtunguwazi (40), a Zimbabwean, and Kabelo Khotlele (28), a South African — were arrested. They remain on remand at Maula Prison awaiting trial.
However, in an unexpected turn, the Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court granted a summary judgment returning the car to Kawanga after Mukora’s legal team failed to appear in court.
Mukora’s Malawian lawyer, Khwima Mchizi, said his client was never served with the court documents and has since applied to have the order rescinded.
“This ruling was irregular,” Mchizi told PIJ. “We are requesting that the vehicle be placed back in police custody until the international case is concluded.”
Officials Respond
Director of Public Prosecutions Masauko Chamkalala confirmed to PIJ that his office is prosecuting the two foreign suspects but not Kawanga, saying he appears to have purchased the car “in good faith.”
“From what we have, Mr. Kawanga was a victim. We are prosecuting the people who brought the vehicle into Malawi,” Chamkalala said.
But when asked why the vehicle was released despite its disputed ownership and ongoing international investigation, Chamkalala admitted his office was unaware of the court order.
“That’s a separate issue. We were not informed of the judgment,” he said.
Bigger Than One Car
Mukora says his company has since engaged Interpol offices in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Malawi to push for the vehicle’s repatriation and the extradition of the accused.
“This is not about one car,” he told PIJ. “It’s about a criminal network taking advantage of weak systems in our region. If someone can move a stolen car across borders and clear it in one day, we have a serious problem.”
Security experts told PIJ that the case points to an emerging regional vehicle-theft syndicate operating between South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, using forged customs letters, stolen IDs, and falsified Interpol clearances.
The System Under Question.
The case has also reignited debate about the integrity of Malawi’s border controls. How did a stolen vehicle from Zimbabwe receive a genuine-looking import permit and police clearance in Malawi — and on the very same day it crossed the border?
A former senior police officer who spoke to PIJ on condition of anonymity said:
“These cases show how fragile our systems are. If someone inside can be bribed to fast-track or ‘clean’ stolen vehicles, then our country becomes a haven for international car theft rings.”
Still on the Road
Today, the disputed Land Cruiser 300 VX is still being driven in Lilongwe, while two men sit in Maula Prison, and the car’s rightful owner in Harare waits for justice.
PIJ reports that the main suspect, Jolene Van Vuuren, remains on the run.
Her name, for now, has become synonymous with an operation that reveals how easy it is to steal a car in one country, sell it in another, and walk away free.
By Staff Reporter | Based on Investigations by the Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ)
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