Man found guilty of cable theft gets 10 years behind bars

A man found guilty of cable theft has been sentenced to a decade in prison.

Nelson Carlos Balane, 35, was sentenced to 10 years in jail in the Oudtshoorn Regional Court on Thursday.

The vehicle was also declared forfeited to the state and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm, according to Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Philani Nkwalase.

Balane became a suspect after police stopped him at a random stop and search operation seven years ago, on 17 April, 2013.

He sped off and a chase ensued. Eventually, he abandoned his Toyota Hilux bakkie and fled on foot.

Inside the vehicle were stolen Telkom copper cables worth R100,000, Nkwalase said.

“A warrant of arrest was issued against Balane and the Western Cape Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime investigation team traced and arrested him on 15 May, 2014 in Benoni.

His bail application was successfully opposed and he was [held] in custody until his conviction and sentencing on Thursday,” Nkwalase said.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.