People who steal and vandalise essential infrastructure such as electric cables and water pipes will face harsher punishment if they are found guilty by a court of law from now on. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development announced that the Criminal Matters Amendment Act of 2015 comes into effect today (1 June). The act was signed into law by President Jacob Zuma in December 2015 and seeks to provide for stricter measures relating to bail and sentencing in respect of essential infrastructure related offences. In terms of this new act, only the courts will deal with bail applications for essential infrastructure related crimes. The act removes the discretion of police officials and prosecutors to grant bail to suspects charged with essential infrastructure related offences. The act further provides for the possibility of up to 30 years imprisonment or a fine not exceeding R100 million in the case of a corporate body. The hope is that the new act will boost investor confidence in South Africa. The department said the public sector and private businesses cannot operate fully if, for instance, Telkom cables are stolen. It is estimated that the South African economy lose between R5-7 billion per year as a result of theft and vandalism of the essential infrastructure.
André Grobler / Bloemfontein Courant
