A 45-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years' direct imprisonment for tampering with Eskom copper cables supplying electricity to households at Morgenzon, in Standerton.
Ncanawe Andrew Mngomezulu was sentenced by the Standerton Regional Court in Mpumalanga this week.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mngomezulu was seen cutting Eskom copper cables by a witness in May 2022. He subsequently fled the scene when he realised that he had been seen.
“The complainant informed her brother about the incident and subsequently reported the matter to the police and Eskom, leading to the accused’s arrest.
“In court, Mngomezulu pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations. He claimed that he had previously been involved in a casual sexual relationship with the complainant between 2018 and 2019,” the NPA said in a statement on Wednesday.
The witness told the court that Mngomezulu’s actions resulted in her home being without electricity for a month until Eskom repaired the damage.
“An Eskom technician also testified, confirming that the damaged copper cable was Eskom property. The technician further testified about the extent of the damage and the replacement value of the cable.
“The court found the complainant to be a reliable and credible witness and convicted Mngomezulu as charged,” the statement read.
Following the verdict, the defence requested a lesser sentence based on “substantial and compelling circumstances,” which the state opposed.
“The state…submitted that the accused had been convicted of a prevalent offence that undermines service delivery efforts to communities. Prosecutor Mkhabela highlighted that vandalism of essential infrastructure has far-reaching consequences [which] negatively affected the complainant’s quality of life and forced her to relocate while the electricity supply remained disrupted.
“The court considered the mitigating and aggravating factors and emphasised that crimes of this nature require appropriate punishment that fits both the offence and the circumstances surrounding its commission. Mngomezulu was sentenced to 15 years’ direct imprisonment and was automatically declared unfit to possess a firearm.
“The NPA welcomes the sentence, which demonstrates that the courts will impose serious consequences on those who vandalise essential infrastructure and disrupt the delivery of critical services to communities,” the statement concluded. – SAnews.gov.za
