A 51-year-old Zimbabwean man has been handed a 34-year prison term by South Africa’s Musina Regional Court for cable theft. Zakhele Hadebe was found guilty on a series of charges, including tampering with essential infrastructure, the theft of non-ferrous metal, trespassing, and contravening the Immigration Act. The sentence is being viewed as one of the most stringent ever delivered for such an offence.
The court heard that Hadebe and an accomplice carried out the brazen attack on the Maremani Nature Reserve on 11 May 2023. Their target was a critical private electrical installation that powered water pumps for the entire reserve. The pair allegedly forced open a transformer and excavated a substantial length of valuable underground copper cable, plunging the area into chaos.
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Zimbabwean Man Slapped With A 34-Year Jail Sentence For Cable Theft In South Africa
While his partner managed to flee the scene, Hadebe’s escape attempt was thwarted. Limpopo National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, provided details on the arrest, stating:
“He was arrested on site after being traced through their escape route.” The damage caused was significant, with Malabi-Dzhangi emphasising the broader impact: “The electricity was critical for pumping water to both wildlife and residents in the reserve.”
During the trial proceedings, Hadebe admitted to being in the country illegally and to trespassing within the protected nature reserve. However, he maintained his innocence regarding the central charges of theft and vandalism, a defence the court ultimately rejected.
A Stark Warning From The Prosecution
The severe sentence is a clear signal from the judiciary that crimes against infrastructure will be met with the full might of the law. The Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo, Advocate Ivy Thenga, issued a stern warning to other would-be offenders. She declared that such acts have a devastating ripple effect on communities.
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Advocate Thenga said:
“Crimes that target essential infrastructure directly affect service delivery and deprive communities of basic services. The NPA will continue to adopt a focused approach to ensure that, upon conviction, harsher sentences are imposed.”
This case establishes a powerful precedent for future prosecutions of a similar nature, highlighting the South African justice system’s low tolerance for crimes that disrupt essential services and livelihoods.
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