IOL A 67-year-old pensioner from the Eastern Cape has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing copper cables and damaging essential infrastructure. Picture: Ihsaan Haffejee
Image: Picture: Ihsaan Haffejee
A 67-year-old Eastern Cape pensioner has been jailed to an effective 15 years of direct imprisonment.
Mthozami Thukwayo was sentenced by the Molteno Regional Court on Wednesday.
He was convicted on charges of damage to essential infrastructure and theft of copper cables.
Thukwayo was arrested in a joint operation by the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as the Hawks), South African Police Services (SAPS), and Transnet in February 2022.
Speaking about the incident Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said on February 21, 2022, a multi-disciplinary team responded to information about a Toyota single cab bakkie that was suspected to have been transporting copper cables around the Molteno area.
"Information received resulted in police immediately conducting a stop and search roadblock to intercept the aforesaid motor vehicle.
"As the said vehicle approached the roadblock, it was stopped and searched. Upon searching, the joint team recovered meters of copper cables at the back of the vehicle with an estimated value of R110,000."
The vehicle had one occupant who was the driver and who introduced himself as Thukwayo.
"He was arrested on the spot and charged accordingly for damage to essential infrastructure as well as possession of copper cables."
Thukwayo appeared in court the following day of his arrest and was remanded in custody.
"After several failed bail application attempts, he was eventually released on R2,000 bail."
Thukwayo was jailed to 15 years of direct imprisonment with no option of a fine.
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