File photo of stolen cables
A 29-year-old man has been sentenced in the Motherwell Regional Court in Gqeberha to an effective 15-year term of imprisonment term, following his conviction for tampering and destroying essential infrastructure.
The National Prosecuting Authority said Ayabulela Nkole was also convicted of the theft of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
NPA Regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said Nkole was arrested in May 2021 after he was spotted by Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Police Officers pulling out wires on Ngedle Street, in Motherwell.
“The streetlights were off at that moment and when police approached, Nkole started running away,” he said.
Tyali said the officers managed to catch him not far from where the cable was stolen, and he was taken back to the scene and later to the police station where he was charged.
He said Nkole had pleaded not guilty, but evidence led by prosecutor Sicelo Hina, including that of the Metro officer who effected the arrest, convinced the court of his guilt.
Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Barry Madolo, said the “sentence must serve as a deterrent to other would-be cable thieves, who seem to be taking advantage of the current electricity crisis to deepen the suffering of the society.”
