The court has successfully prosecuted what is undoubtedly one of the biggest organised crime cases on its roll, sending to prison Paulus Matonzi aka Sambulo Sambane Nyalunga (44) and bringing to end his thieving ways.
Nyalunga’s crime spree started when he stole his friend’s South African identity document in 1992, soon after he arrived in South Africa from Mozambique.
In 2003, he managed to register himself at home affairs, officially taking over the real Nyalunga’s identity.
He then started a secondhand scrap metal business in Orlando West, Soweto.
But, the business turned out just to be a front for his criminal activities as, behind the scenes, he ran an operation targeting Telkom copper cables.
In the period between May 4, 2012, and July 1, 2013, Nyalunga stole and sold 10 666kg of Telkom copper cables to two scrap metal dealers in Boksburg, making a whopping R7 140 028 08.
The money was deposited into 11 different bank accounts, held by his wife, children and other people.
When selling the cables to the scrap yards, he pretended to be the owner of Motata Telecommunications, a Telkom subcontractor.
Testifying in court, Telkom’s Meshack Mohake said Telkom experienced between 52 to 190 instances of cable theft between November 2010 to July 2013, in Gauteng alone.
He added that, in 2013 alone, cable theft cost Telkom R22 952 161 50 and that Telkom loses between R881-m to R1 102-m per annum.
The real Nyalunga’s ID problems were recently sorted out when he approached the office of the Public Protector.
Although Nyalunga pleaded not guilty to all the charges on February 5, he was found guilty on February 10 and sentenced on April 7.
The accused faced a total of 1 057 charges, which were taken together for the purpose of sentencing, as follows:
Count 1 = 8 years
Count 2 = 3 years
Counts 3 to 76 = 15 years
Counts 77 to 150 = 15 years
Counts 151 to 224 = 5 years
Counts 225 to 306 = 15 years
Counts 307 to 388 = 15 years
Counts 389 to 470 = 5 years
Counts 471 to 1057 = 25 years
All sentences will run concurrently with counts 471 to 1 057, meaning Nyalunga will effectively serve 25 years in prison.
Magistrate Abel Shilubane presided and prosecutor Maria Olivier represented the state.
