FIVE FOREIGN NATIONAL COPPER THIEVES TO SPEND TIME BEHIND BARS
02 October 2023 – The fire that broke down in Eskom Thuthuka Power Station in Standerton led to the arrest of five foreign nationals who were caught red-handed, digging up and skinning copper cables valued at about R3200 on 29 November 2022 at about 00h50 am.
On that day, the security personnel on duty received a call regarding a fire which broke out in the utility and all role players were activated whereby five Lesotho Nationals were caught in the act digging up and skinning copper cables.
The suspects, Mokhele Mokhele (21), Tshwarelo Moloi (32), Makato Motsepa (41), Machabe Nkhere (27) and Johannes Twala (57) were arrested and then denied bail from their first day in court until their fate was decided on 27 September 2023.
Mokhele was sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment whilst Moloi, Motsepa, Nkhere and Twala were each sentenced to 10 years direct imprisonment for the damage to essential infrastructure.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has indicated that the sentence handed down to the five will hopefully serve as a deterrence to others who might consider engaging in similar offences of damaging to the country’s essential infrastructure.
