MIDDELBURG - A former Eskom employee, Ziphozonke Daniel Ntuli (33), was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment for copper-cable theft in the Middelburg Regional Court on Thursday, July 18. 

The Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit arrested Ntuli and a colleague, Busisiwe Edith Mawela (37), on January 31, 2018, after an investigation implicated them in the issuing of fraudulent authorisation tickets for the removal of copper cables valued at R1,2 million, from an Eskom premises in Middelburg.  

Ntuli received 12 years for each count but the sentences will run concurrently, meaning he has to serve an effective 12 years in prison. The case against Mawela has been postponed to July 26 for a trial date to be set.

Editor: Anchen Coetzee
Subeditor: Lynette Brink
Submitted by: Capt Dineo Sekgotodi