News / National
2 Zimbabweans jailed 10 years each over cable theft in SA
22 Oct 2023 at 04:09hrs | Views
Two Zimbabwean nationals, Namer Ndovu, aged 27, and Collen Singanje, aged 28, have been sentenced to 10 years of direct imprisonment each by the Pretoria North Magistrate's Court. They were convicted for interfering with essential infrastructure.
The arrests took place on December 21, 2020, along Eskia Mpahlane Drive in the Wonderboom area of Tshwane. Security guards from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) apprehended the two individuals in possession of eight pieces of signal copper cables. The guards then transported them to the police station to report the incident, leading to their subsequent arrest. They have been in custody since then, according to Lumka Mahanjana, Gauteng regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
In court, Ndovu and Singanje initially pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, State prosecutor Lufuno Manena successfully demonstrated the State's case beyond a reasonable doubt. The State presented John Motswaledi, a corporate security investigator at Prasa, who testified that each cable was valued at R3,000. The damage caused by the crime totaled over R300,000 due to the costs of replacement and repairs.
In the sentencing phase, Manena emphasized the adverse impact of damaging national infrastructure on the country's economy, its citizens, and businesses. He argued that imposing a stringent sentence was necessary not only to deter the two convicts but also to discourage potential criminals, thus safeguarding the community.
Magistrate Phogotlhe Motlang concurred with the State's argument, deeming the sentence as appropriate.
The NPA welcomed the court's decision.
In a related case from the previous month, four men and a teenager of Mozambican nationality faced charges of damaging essential infrastructure. They were apprehended for allegedly stealing Transnet overhead cables worth R3 million in Delmas. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) in Mpumalanga reported the arrests, identifying the accused as Joshua Mavia Mapendani (34), Sizwe Rinze Masasane (27), Themba Swele (27), and Lino Matchave (23), along with a 14-year-old boy.
The arrests took place on December 21, 2020, along Eskia Mpahlane Drive in the Wonderboom area of Tshwane. Security guards from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) apprehended the two individuals in possession of eight pieces of signal copper cables. The guards then transported them to the police station to report the incident, leading to their subsequent arrest. They have been in custody since then, according to Lumka Mahanjana, Gauteng regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
In court, Ndovu and Singanje initially pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, State prosecutor Lufuno Manena successfully demonstrated the State's case beyond a reasonable doubt. The State presented John Motswaledi, a corporate security investigator at Prasa, who testified that each cable was valued at R3,000. The damage caused by the crime totaled over R300,000 due to the costs of replacement and repairs.
Magistrate Phogotlhe Motlang concurred with the State's argument, deeming the sentence as appropriate.
The NPA welcomed the court's decision.
In a related case from the previous month, four men and a teenager of Mozambican nationality faced charges of damaging essential infrastructure. They were apprehended for allegedly stealing Transnet overhead cables worth R3 million in Delmas. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) in Mpumalanga reported the arrests, identifying the accused as Joshua Mavia Mapendani (34), Sizwe Rinze Masasane (27), Themba Swele (27), and Lino Matchave (23), along with a 14-year-old boy.
Source - IOL News
