By OBAKENG MAJE
A man was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for cable theft. Ofentse Kau (36) briefly appeared before the Ga-Rankuwa Regional Court after he was arrested by the Eskom security officers on 20 October 2022. Kau was spotted through surveillance cameras at the Ga-Rankuwa industrial site in possession of 400m commercial copper cable, which was meant for replacement.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson, Henry Mamothame said Kau was subsequently handed over to the police and charged with cable theft. He pleaded guilty to the offence and the court also denied him bail.
In aggravation of the sentence, the state prosecutor, Adv Mummy Mosonodi urged the court to consider the load-shedding crisis the country is experiencing as a result of cable theft. She further alluded to the financial implications suffered by Eskom as a main service provider of electricity.
Magistrate Marianne Wessel agreed with the state and imposed a 15-year jail term, with 5 years suspended for 5 years.
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, lauded the prosecutor, Detective Sergeant Tshepo Phale from the SAPS, and the Eskom security officers, for bringing the perpetrator to book. She alluded to the detriment brought by such offenses to the economic growth of the country.
The Guardian 