Mozambican gets 6-months sentence, no option of bail for electricity theft – South Africa

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Mozambican gets 6-months sentence, no option of bail for electricity theft – South Africa

11:35 CAT | 14 Sep 2016

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The Malamulele Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo, South Africa, sentenced has ruled against an electricity theft suspect, handing him a six-month prison sentence with no option of bail.

According to Operation Khanyisa, the Eskom-led campaign that fights electricity and cable theft, the accused, a Mozambican national, faced charges of fraud related to illegal connections as well as electricity theft. He was found guilty on all counts and sentenced on Wednesday.

Head of Operation Khanyisa, Dileep John said, Electricity theft is a criminal offence. However, there remains a perception that nobody can be arrested for stealing electricity. The reality though, as this case shows, is that if you steal electricity, you will get caught and you could face a jail sentence.”

According to John, more than 50 people have been arrested in recent times as a result of the Operation Khanyisa campaign, while 26 cases have been opened on the court roll.

“In South Africa, electricity theft remains one of the most serious but under-reported crimes, in spite of its consequences, including deaths that result from dangerous illegal connections,” he explained.

Forms of electricity theft include illegal connections, meter tampering and bypassing, buying and selling of illegal prepaid power vouchers through stolen or ghost credit dispensing units (CDUs), infrastructure theft, and non-payment, all of which are punishable by law.

“We will continue to investigate, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes, particularly the kingpins and syndicates,” said John.

Source: eNCA