Eskom cable thieves get major jail time
Bronkhorstspruit Regional Court sentenced two cable thieves arrested for stealing over four kilometres of Eskom’s aluminium cables in 2018 to over a decade in prison.
According to a statement from the state-owned power utility, one of the perpetrators, Anye Valentine Nkwenti, received a 15-year sentence, and the other, Happy Dube, got 12 years.
The sentences come around four years after the two perpetrators were arrested in Ystervarkfontein in the Welbekend region while trying to flee.
Authorities impounded their vehicle and found wood saws and a hack saw at the crime scene.
According to Eskom, the theft of cables, transformers, overhead lines, and conductors costs the power utility around R2 billion each year.
It also hurts South African communities and businesses.
“Illegal electricity connections and cable theft often lead to prolonged power outages and compromises the quality of supply, which affects businesses, essential services, as well as the day-to-day lives of society, and this has a negative impact on the economy,” it said.
Eskom’s safety, health, environment and quality (SHEQS) manager in Gauteng, Kith Maitisa, attributes the sentences to the power utility’s enhanced efforts to catch perpetrators.
“Gauteng experiences a lot of cable theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure. The arrests are part of our heightened efforts to curb criminal acts that affect customers, disrupt people’s livelihoods and the future of the country,” he said.
Maitisa urged all those who may be aware of any form of criminal acts to report them by calling the Eskom Crime Line on 0800 112 722 or the South African Police Services. Tip-offs can be submitted anonymously.
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