Two foreign nationals sentenced to ten years for cable theft

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Two foreign nationals have been sentenced to ten years of direct imprisonment each for a charge of tampering with essential infrastructure by the Pretoria North magistrates court.

Zimbabweans Namer Ndovu, 27, and Collen Singanje, 28, were caught on December 21, 2020, at Es’kia Mphahlele Drive, in the Wonderboom area by Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) security guards, with eight pieces of signal copper cables.

According to Lumka Mahanjana, NPA regional spokesperson, the guards took the pair and the cables to the police station to report the matter, where they were arrested and have been in custody since.

“In court they pleaded not guilty to the charges, however, state prosecutor Lufuno Manena was able to prove the state’s case beyond a reasonable doubt.

“The state called John Motswaledi, a corporate security investigator at PRASA, who told the court that each cable was valued at R3000 each, however, the crime committed had an impact of over R300 000, on the company because of what went into replacing and repairing the damage done,” she said.

Mahanjana stated that in aggravation, prosecutor Manena told the court that damaging infrastructure, affects the economy of the country, ordinary citizens, and businesses.

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She added; “Manena also told the court that under the circumstances, the community needs to be protected by the courts by imposing a stiff sentence which will deter not only the two but also the wanna-be suspects.

“Therefore, he asked the court to impose an appropriate sentence to restore trust in the justice system.

“Magistrate Phogotlhe Motlang agreed with the state and said that the sentence given was appropriate.”