ETHEKWINI Municipality has welcomed the prison sentences meted out by the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court recently to three cable thieves from Danganya in Umgababa, one of whom was a municipal contractor, for stealing municipal cables valued at R1m.

Also read: Help combat cable theft

Lindo Xulu, 37, who was a municipal contractor in the Electricity Department at the time of the offence, was sentenced to 15 years’ direct imprisonment. His accomplices, aged 63 and 26, were sentenced to five and three-year prison terms respectively.

The arrests and subsequent sentencing stem from a 2022 incident when police officers stationed in Umkomaas acted on information regarding electricity cables being stripped and burnt at a homestead in Ilfracombe.

In a statement, eThekwini said the police apprehended the culprits in the act, recovering the municipal cables.

“The seized property was positively identified as belonging to the municipality by infrastructure theft investigators, leading to the arrest of three people,” the statement read.

Also read: Man arrested for cable theft in Isipingo

After a close collaboration between the police and eThekwini’s Directorate’s Infrastructure Theft Division, the matter was thoroughly investigated and successfully prosecuted. The court found all three accused guilty of damaging essential infrastructure and possession of stolen municipal property.

“The City maintains a zero-tolerance approach to electricity theft, vandalism, and all forms of infrastructure crime. This ruling sends a clear message that offenders will face the full might of the law,” continued the statement.

eThekwini urged community vigilance, encouraging residents to report suspicious activities involving electricity infrastructure to help protect public resources.

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