Hefty jail terms for cable thieves welcomed

WITH cable theft estimated by the SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry to cost the local economy between R5 billion and R7bn annually, a 10-year sentence imposed on three perpetrators in Pretoria this week has been welcomed.

Tshwane Community Safety MMC Grandi Theunissen said the heavy prison sentences imposed on the thieves by the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday would serve as further motivation for anti-cable theft police team officers.

Cable theft has in many instances led to power outages at homes and businesses, affected traffic lights, networks and telephone lines.

In 2018 then mayor Solly Msimanga said in Tshwane cable theft syndicates cost the metro a whopping R200 million a year.

The City has a dedicated cable theft unit within the Tshwane metro police department for fighting the scourge.

Theunissen said: “The direct imprisonment of the criminals should also serve as motivation for our anti-cable theft teams who are working hard to stop the scourge of cable theft.”

He said cable theft affected the

City’s already stretched budget as millions of rand was required to replace stolen cables.

The three criminals sentenced this week were Zimbabweans and were each sentenced to ten years in prison.

Half of their terms was suspended by the court, meaning they would each serve five years.

The three were arrested in March and detained at the Villieria police station after they were found with stolen cables.

Theunissen said: “As MMC for Community Safety, I would like to commend the continuous efforts by law enforcement officials, particularly our Tshwane metro police department cable theft unit, and others to protect the City’s critical infrastructure.

“It is encouraging to see our courts passing appropriate direct imprisonment sentences for cable theft. Such sentences send a stern warning to criminals that there are serious consequences to cable theft.”

The City encouraged the public to report cable theft and tampering with municipal electrical infrastructure to the cable theft unit hotline, 012 358 1550.

The public can alternatively visit a cable theft walk-in service centre at the Sanab Building in Gezina.