Man caught damaging substation in Bethal gets 15 years in prison
A security officer caught Dumisani Mngomezulu cutting electrical cables inside the substation.
The Bethal Regional Court sentenced 37-year-old Dumisani Mngomezulu to 15 years’ direct imprisonment on June 24 after convicting him of tampering with essential infrastructure.
The sentence follows an incident that occurred in 2024.
According to the information presented in court, a security officer was on duty at the eMzinoni Ext 4 Substation, conducting routine patrols, when he noticed that the substation’s lights were off.
He went to investigate and found a man inside the premises cutting electrical cables.
The security officer managed to apprehend the suspect, handcuffed him, and detained him while waiting for the police to arrive.
Following an investigation by the eMzinoni police detectives, Mngomezulu was successfully prosecuted and convicted of tampering with essential infrastructure.
The court sentenced him to 15 years’ direct imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
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