According to the Carletonville police’s communication officer, WO Peter Masooa, Tseaeli Batlaki, Katlego Buthelezi, Theko Buthelezi and Thabo Ntungwa were sentenced for cable theft in the Oberholzer Regional Court on 11 June.
The magistrate, Mr Jan Steyn, sentenced them each to 10 years imprisonment.
A security officer from Transnet, Mr Mere Mosiapoa, arrested the men on 8 September 2018, after he found them digging for a cable in Kleim Street in Carletonville’s new industrial area.
A detective from Carletonville, Sgt Pappie Maake, investigated the case.
Maake also investigated another cable theft case, which had an excellent outcome.
On 10 March, two cable thieves, P. Moqhale and Manuel Tukane were each sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment for damage to infrastructure and the possession of copper cable. Magistrate Steyn also sentenced them in the Oberholzer Regional Court. Mr Stan Davis of Fidelity Security initially arrested the suspects after spotting them with R16,500’s worth of copper cable at the old Welverdiend Railway Station.
“Such damage to infrastructure causes the economy to shrink and brings rail transport to a halt. Replacing the cable costs companies and the municipality millions of rands. It also increases the risk to patients in hospitals, the malfunction of traffic- and street lights and affects businesses negatively.
“We thank Sgt Maake, who did such a good follow-up investigation that these cases yielded appropriate sentences. Your hard work and endurance does not go unnoticed,” said the station commander, Brig. Marinda Theron.
