Two men have been sentenced by the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court to 30 years imprisonment for theft and vandalism of valuable infrastructure.
The pair, who broke into a substation to steal electricity panels, were apprehended by Centlec Security Services in November 2022.
“At the time of their arrest, the accused were found in possession of the panels,” explained Centlec spokesperson, Lele Mamatu. Each panel has an estimated value of R500 000. “The damage caused as a result of this theft of equipment is estimated at a total value of R2.5 million.”
The accused were found guilty on charges of damage to essential infrastructure and theft of essential infrastructure following a lengthy trial, and each sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
“We are pleased with the successful conviction and sentencing of the accused,” stated Mamatu. “Our view is that this sentencing will send a strong warning to anyone involved in the damaging or stealing of essential infrastructure.”
Centlec also encourages the public to report theft and vandalism of infrastructure at their nearest police station, or by using the Centlec fraud hotline – 051 412 2239, or WhatsApp 064 616 5574. Alternatively an email can be sent to fraudandcorruption@centlec.co.za.
Compiled by Warren Hawkins
