eThekwini welcomes jail sentences in R1 million cable theft case
The convictions stem from a 2022 case in which police caught the suspects stripping and burning stolen cables at a property in Umkomaas.
eThekwini Municipality says it's tightening the net on electricity infrastructure theft.
It's after securing prison sentences for three people convicted of stealing municipal cables worth a million rand.
The Scottburgh Magistrate's Court sentenced the trio earlier this month for a 2022 case.
Police caught the suspects, including a municipal subcontractor, stripping and burning municipal electricity cables at a property in Umkomaas.
Electricity network protected
Investigators confirmed that the recovered cables belonged to eThekwini Municipality.
The 37-year-old subcontractor was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment, while his 26-year-old co-accused received three years behind bars.
A 63-year-old woman was jailed for five years.
The Municipality says the convictions form part of its ongoing crackdown on infrastructure crime.
It's a warning that cable theft continues to disrupt electricity supply and damage critical infrastructure.
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