Police in Limpopo have arrested two male suspects, aged 43 and 49, in Northam, Waterberg District, during the early hours of Tuesday, 21 April 2026. The suspects are believed to be part of a syndicate responsible for the theft of copper cables and irrigation pivot motors across Limpopo and North West provinces.
The arrests took place at an RDP house in Northam following a multi-disciplinary, intelligence-driven operation involving Northam Detectives, Northam and Thabazimbi Visible Policing, as well as Northam and Koedoeskop Rural Safety units.
According to police, ongoing incidents of theft of copper cables and irrigation pivot motors in the Koedoeskop area have been monitored over the past three months. These crimes have resulted in damages and losses estimated at approximately R2.2 million, severely affecting farming communities in both Limpopo and North West Province.
Intelligence analysis led to the identification of a suspected syndicate operating from North West Province. The suspects’ modus operandi involved transporting perpetrators into targeted sites, leaving them to commit the theft while the driver temporarily withdrew, and later returning in the early hours to collect them.
On the evening of 20 April 2026 at approximately 20:00, the suspect vehicle was spotted travelling on the R511 road from Brits towards Koedoeskop. Police operational teams were strategically deployed, and at approximately 03:45, the vehicle was intercepted on the R510 road towards Northam. A high-speed chase ensued, resulting in the successful apprehension of the two suspects in the RDP area.
Upon searching the vehicle, police recovered 40 irrigation pivot motors suspected to be stolen property. Farmers from the Koedoeskop area have been contacted to assist in identifying the recovered items and linking them to reported cases. Two theft cases have already been reported in Thabazimbi, with estimated values of R270,000 and R80,000 respectively.
The suspects are expected to appear before the Northam Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 22 April 2026, facing charges related to possession of suspected stolen property.