Man arrested after stolen construction machines worth R50m recovered

A 63-year-old suspect has been arrested in KwaZulu-Natal for multiple offences, including extortion, theft, possession of suspected stolen property and using a vehicle without the owner’s consent. Police said the arrest was made on Sunday at Ekombe following investigations into the theft of heavy-duty construction machines from a site in Nkandla. KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza said the case dates back to December 2025, when a complainant reported the theft at Nkandla police station.

In January 2026, the same complainant opened another case at Newark police station after discovering that the stolen machines were being used in the area. The machines had allegedly been taken from a construction site in Nkandla. “Police officers who are members of the Provincial Reaction Unit as well as Empangeni Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit (VCIU) recieved information regarding the location where the mechines were being stored and utilised.

“On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, an operation was conducted at Zululand quarry in Newark where two excavators and one TLB machine were recovered. The recovered property is estimated to be valued at R50 million. The suspect was not on the construction site during the arrest and remained on the run.” Magwaza said the complainant later opened additional cases at Ekombe police station on Saturday, including extortion, theft of a motor vehicle and using property without the owner’s consent.

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The new cases relate to the alleged theft of a truck from a construction site and demands for money from the complainant. Following further investigations and tracing operations, members of the Empangeni Public Order Police arrested the 63-year-old suspect at Ekombe.

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