A 29-year-old man from Eswatini is expected to appear before the Mayflower Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 7 July 2025, after police allegedly caught him transporting large quantities of cannabis, also known as dagga, near the South African border.
Eswatini national due in court on drug charges
The estimated street value of the drugs found in his vehicle is R1.1 million.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning near the Waverley Port of Entry in Mayflower. Officers from the border patrol team were on duty near Esandleni when they noticed a suspicious vehicle and stopped it for inspection.
As they approached, three occupants allegedly jumped out of the vehicle and started shooting at the police officers in an attempt to escape. Police officers returned fire and managed to shoot and apprehend one suspect. The other two suspects escaped on foot and have not yet been caught.
The injured suspect was taken to a hospital for treatment before being placed in custody. A full search of the vehicle revealed 166 sealed packets of dagga, weighing just over 190 kilograms in total.
Police said the street value of the cannabis was estimated at R1.1 million.
A police vehicle was also damaged during the exchange of gunfire. The suspect now faces multiple charges, including dealing in drugs, damaging government property, and entering the country without legal documentation, which is a violation of South Africa’s immigration laws.
Is cannabis legal in South Africa?
Cannabis use in South Africa has seen legal changes in recent years, but it remains illegal to sell or distribute the drug.
In 2018, the Constitutional Court ruled that adults may legally grow and use cannabis for personal use in private.
However, commercial sale, large-scale distribution, and transporting cannabis, especially across borders, are still criminal offences under South African law.
This means anyone found with cannabis in circumstances that suggest it is meant for selling or trafficking – such as large quantities, packaging, or attempts to smuggle – can be arrested and prosecuted.
In this case, because of the volume and packaging of the dagga found, police say the suspect was likely involved in organised drug distribution.
Police investigations are ongoing, and efforts to track down the two escaped suspects continue.