The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) welcomes the nine-year sentence handed down by the Brakpan Regional Court to a foreign national for cable theft in March this year.
Khothatso Adora was found guilty of damaging essential infrastructure, theft of infrastructure and illegal immigration.
This Lesotho citizen was caught red-handed on 23 March while he was digging up power cables in broad daylight along the R23 on the way to Makro in Brakpan.
The Freedom Front Plus, in collaboration with the local community policing forum and a private security company, apprehended the man and took him to the nearest police station.
He led the police to a scrapyard in Alberton, where he allegedly sold the stolen goods. Following an investigation, the police discovered approximately 10 tons of copper on the premises, after which the scrapyard owner was also arrested.
This sentence is a significant victory in the fight against criminals who damage and steal essential infrastructure.
It sends a loud and clear message that cable theft will not be tolerated and will serve to deter those contemplating it.
Cable theft causes frequent power outages and damage to municipal infrastructure amounting to millions, which directly affects households, businesses and service delivery.
The party strongly encourages residents to remain vigilant and continue reporting suspicious activities to the Ekurhuleni Metro’s Service Centre at 086 054 3000 or by sending an email with information about criminal activities to centre@ekurhuleni.gov.za.
