Zimbabwean national was sentenced to a double seven years of direct imprisonment for damaging essential infrastructure and theft of crude oil by Vrede Regional Court.
The Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation(HAWKS) confirmed that the Vrede Regional Court has sentenced Zimbabwean, Shepard Vareni(38) to seven years direct imprisonment for damage to essential infrastructure, seven years direct imprisonment for theft of crude oil, and a fine of R5000 or three months imprisonment for contravention of the Immigration Act. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Vareni was arrested two years ago after he was found stealing the crude oil which belongs to the Transnet and he was with his countryman which still attends the case.
“The sentencing emanates from an incident on 25 September 2023 when security personnel received an alert about theft of crude oil in progress at a farm near Memel. Assisted by the local police, the security officers chased and arrested two suspects and recovered two vehicles. It was found that the suspects had tampered with a Transnet pipeline and stole crude oil. Vareni was remanded in custody until his sentencing on 17 November 2025. The trial against his co-accused and countryman, Felix Magatu(43), is set for 19 and 20 January 2026 in the Vrede Regional Court,” said Lieutenant Colonel Zweli Mohobeleli, HAWKS spokesperson.
Free State head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation(Hawks), Major General Mokgadi Bokaba has welcomed the sentence and commended the investigating officer's good work, concluded Mohobeleli.