By REGINALD KANYANE
16 September 2026 – A man (24) has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for tampering and damaging essential infrastructure in De Aar, Northern Cape. Justine Van Wyk was sentenced by the De Aar Regional Court on Monday after being found guilty in connection with an incident in which he was allegedly caught tampering with an electrical kiosk box.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Thabo Litabe incident occurred at about 4.35am on 21 June 2026, when police received a complaint about an unknown man allegedly tampering with a kiosk electrical box in Piet Moos Street. Litabe said when police officers arrived, they found Van Wyk near the electrical box and arrested him after he attempted to flee.
“The police recovered equipment allegedly used in the offence, along with a large roll of copper cable. The case was assigned to Detective Sergeant Shawn Moses of the De Aar Organised Crime Investigations, who conducted the investigation and built the case that was presented before court.
“Moses also opposed Van Wyk’s bail application, resulting in him remaining in custody until his conviction and sentencing. The court subsequently sentenced Van Wyk to 10 years direct imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm,” he said.
The Pixley ka Seme District Polixe Commissioner, Major General Nomana Mtukushe, commended Moses for his dedication, commitment and professionalism throughout the investigation. Mtukushe said tampering with essential infrastructure has become a major concern for them, as these crimes have far-reaching consequences and contribute to the loss of lives, jobs, livelihoods and essential services.
“We would continue targeting those involved in damaging essential infrastructure and stealing copper cable, as part of efforts to safeguard critical services and infrastructure across the province,” he said.
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