A routine border crossing at the Mananga Border Gate took a shocking turn when authorities apprehended a 37-year-old South African man attempting to enter Eswatini with a cache of powerful explosives. The discovery, made early Wednesday morning during a routine vehicle search, sent alarm bells ringing.
The explosives, identified as 12 Magex Maxam blasting devices, are widely used in mining, quarrying, and construction due to their immense detonation velocity and destructive capability. Their presence in an unauthorized setting immediately raised concerns, prompting swift action from the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), who initiated an urgent investigation.
Authorities are now working to determine the suspect’s motives and whether the explosives were intended for illicit activities within Eswatini or were being smuggled elsewhere. The possibility of a larger criminal network at play has not been ruled out.
Sources suggest that these explosives may be linked to planned cash-in-transit heists or ATM bombings—crimes that have plagued the region in recent months. This concern is not unfounded, as previous incidents have demonstrated the devastating impact of such criminal operations.
In December, law enforcement cracked down on a group of criminals involved in a series of ATM bombings. Two South African nationals, Dumisani Goodman Ngubane, 34, from Gauteng, and Lethukuthula Hlongwa, 21, from KwaZulu-Natal, were arrested alongside two Eswatini women, Lomakhosi Dlamini, 49, and Elli Olivia Khoza, 44, as well as a Mozambican national, Armando Maswangayi, 27. The group allegedly targeted an ATM belonging to First National Bank (FNB) Eswatini, stealing over half a million Emalangeni. They were also accused of bombing an Eswatini Bank ATM, making off with more than R320,000.
When apprehended, the suspects were found in possession of a black and silver 9mm pistol without a license, further compounding the charges against them. Additionally, Maswangayi and Hlongwa faced legal trouble for unlawfully entering and remaining in Eswatini without proper documentation.
The recent arrest at the Mananga Border Gate highlights growing concerns about cross-border crime and the increasing use of explosives in organized criminal activities. As investigations unfold, authorities remain vigilant in their efforts to curb such threats and ensure public safety.
