Power thieves face years behind bars as SA cracks down on cable crime
From a 15-year sentence in Mpumalanga to a staggering 34 years in Limpopo, South African courts are handing down tough sentences to criminals who steal or vandalise electricity infrastructure.
Electricity thieves and vandals are facing increasingly harsh sentences as authorities step up efforts to protect the infrastructure that keeps homes and businesses powered across South Africa.
A sentence handed to a man who cut Eskom cables supplying households in Mpumalanga is the latest in a string of cases in which courts have imposed lengthy prison terms for tampering with essential electricity infrastructure, reports Ridge Times.
The Standerton Regional Court sentenced 45-year-old Ncanawe Andrew Mngomezulu to 15 years’ direct imprisonment on August 18 after he was seen cutting Eskom copper cables supplying a woman’s house in Morgenzon, between Standerton and Ermelo, on May 19, 2022.
The Lekwa Local Municipality welcomed the sentence, with municipal spokesperson Lubabalo Majenge saying they hoped the judgment would send a strong message to those who vandalise public infrastructure.
Neighbour’s dog alerts resident
The barking of a neighbour’s dog woke the woman, who realised that there was no electricity. She looked through the window and saw a person who she identified as Mngomezulu.
When Mngomezulu noticed that the woman had seen him, he fled the scene. She reported the matter to the police and Eskom, which led to Mngomezulu’s arrest.
Accused denied allegations
In court, Mngomezulu pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations. He attempted to discredit the woman by claiming that she had accepted money from him in exchange for sex.
To prove Mngomezulu’s guilt, the prosecution, led by Thabani Mkhabela, presented evidence from the complainant, who testified about what she had witnessed on the night of the incident.
She also explained that she was left without electricity for a month while waiting for Eskom to repair the damage. An Eskom technician also testified, confirming that the damaged copper cable was Eskom property.
Hefty sentences
The sentence comes amid a growing number of prosecutions involving the theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure. This includes a 20-year sentence handed to a Bloemfontein man in April who was caught cutting and stealing electrical and telecommunications cables belonging to Centlec and Telkom.
A Limpopo man received an effective 34-year sentence in September 2025 for tampering with essential infrastructure and stealing non-ferrous metal from an electrical installation.
In another case last month, three people were sentenced in KZN after being convicted of damaging electricity infrastructure and possessing stolen municipal property worth about R1m, with one of the accused receiving a 15-year prison sentence.
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