Mpumalanga cable thief handed 15-year jail term

CAPE TOWN – An alleged electricity cable thief, Witness Sibanda has been sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment by the Ermerlo Magistrates Court.
 
According to the power utility Eskom, Sibanda was found guilty of damaging and stealing essential infrastructure at Camden power station in Mpumalanga on 19 July 2024.
 
He was also found to have contravened South Africa’s Immigration Act.

Witness Sibanda was arrested in February this year after he was caught cutting and removing copper cable deemed as critical infrastructure.
 
Eskom says the perpetrator was nabbed after the CCTV operators detected movement inside the Camden power station at night.
 
The power utility appeals to the public to report cable thieves to authorities, including the illegal sale of electricity, as it has a negative impact on its operations.
 
The utility strongly condemns the theft and vandalism of its infrastructure as it costs the country over R47 billion annually.