A cable thief has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The thief was prosecuted under the Criminal Matters Amendment Act 18 of 2015, which came into effect in June 2016.
It was designed to recognise the importance of essential infrastructure in providing basic services to the public.
It also focuses on the high incidence of crime relating to essential infrastructure and its impact on public safety, electricity supply, communications and transportation.
Barbara Cloete, Forensic Investigator from the Infrastructure Theft Department said the city has a zero-tolerance approach against any theft of City infrastructure, particularly copper electricity cables.
“This is a major victory for the City. It shows that we are serious about our approach and we will not tolerate any theft of infrastructure. This particular criminal act has a direct, negative impact on our residents as they are left without power for many hours,” she said.
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“Cable theft is a major challenge as millions of Rands are lost. Business owners also suffer a great loss in production and profit while household consumers suffer damages to electrical appliances and food spoils. The dark and poorly lit roads can lead to fatalities and a guise for criminals to operate,” she said.
The accused was caught by the neighbourhood watch patrols on 1 September 2017 at 01:30am with 500 metres of bare copper cable on Marianhill Road in Pinetown.
It carried an estimated value of R27 400. The area had experienced a power outage as a result of the man cutting the cable. Residents then contacted the patrols and he was caught and handed over to the police. Prior to conviction, he was detained at Westville Prison, awaiting trial.
“Criminals are also warned that besides obtaining a jail sentence, cable theft is life-threatening. Residents are urged to report cable theft by contacting 0800 311 961,” concluded Cloete.
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