Mpumalanga woman sentenced for turning stolen Eskom cables into pots

A Mpumalanga woman has been found guilty and sentenced  for cooking up Eskom cables to make pots.

Nombango Claudia Mogiba appeared in the Calcutta Regional Court on Thursday where she was found guilty of possession of stolen property after cables worth more than R30 000 were found stacked neatly under a black Transnet sail at her Mkhuhlu house in Mpumalanga.

Cables for cooking pots

She used the materials to make a number of cooking pots.

The court sentenced Mogiba to five years’ imprisonment, suspended for five years, or a R10 000 fine following her arrest in January.

Hawks spokesperson, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, said they had made the discovery during a search-and-seizure operation at Mogiba’s house earlier this year.

“During the search a roll of suspected Eskom aluminium cables were identified covered with a black sail next to the house, other small rolls of suspected Eskom cables were further identified in a trench next to the wall covered with a black Transnet sail.

A Mpumalanga woman has been found guilty & sentenced for cooking up #Eskom cables to make pots. Nombango Mogiba appeared in the Calcutta Regional Court where she was found guilty of possession of stolen property after cables worth more than R30 000 were found @TheCitizen_News pic.twitter.com/6IjBOorn14

— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) November 23, 2024

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Arrest

Sekgotodi said Eskom security were summoned and confirmed that the properties belonged them.

“The team continued with the such whereby lots of aluminium pots  were found in the room and identified as been manufactured by smelting Eskom copper cables with estimated value of  R30 800.

“The accused was arrested, charged and detained pending her first court appearance on Monday, 29 January 2024 whereby she was remanded in custody until 2 February 2024 and she was granted bail. The accused appeared in court on several occasions and she was found guilty and convicted on 28 October 2024 and the case was postponed to 21 November 2024 for sentencing,” Sekgotodi said.

Copper cable theft

The Mpumalanga head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks), Major-General Nicholas Gerber, applauded the investigating team for securing the sentence, “which will send a clear message to those would-be thieves”.

“South Africans are all too familiar with the daily theft of copper cables and other items from infrastructure meant to  and contribute to the smooth running of the county. The General urged the public to refrain from such behaviours and to report the incidents to the Law enforcement agencies,” Gerber said.

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