A South African court has sentenced two Mozambicans to 19 years in prison for stealing copper cables from a power station in Mpumalanga province, South African police said.
In a statement, the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Nelspruit said the court had convicted the Mozambican nationals, identified as Constantinople Mamuane, 23, and Afonso Manes, 25, of the criminal act.
“On 8 September 2023, the Emalahleni Magistrates Court sentenced them to 19 years’ imprisonment each for attempted robbery, interfering with vital infrastructure and contravening the South African Immigration Act,” he said.
According to security forces, the incident occurred in November 2020 at the Kendal power station, considered one of the largest coal-fired power stations in the world.
“The court heard that on November 18, 2020, there was a power outage at Kendal Power Station, ground floor. Security guards reportedly went to investigate and found the two accused at the crime scene cutting copper cables.” , says the note from the South African police.
During the police investigation, “compelling evidence” was presented in court by the prosecutor’s office, he stressed.
“The sentence should serve as a deterrent to those who continue to steal cables by taking advantage of the current electricity crisis,” Mpumalanga Semakaleng provincial police commissioner Daphne Manamela was quoted as saying in the statement.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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