A 52-year-old Nama-Khoi Municipal electrician was served a court appearance warrant by the Serious Organised Crime Investigating team in Springbok last week Friday, October 11, for theft and infrastructure damage.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Tebogo Thebe, the Northern Cape Hawks spokesperson, the provincial South African Police Service (SAPS) received a tip-off about municipality copper cables being stolen in January 2018.
“The police team opened an enquiry for further investigation.” The investigation discovered that a branded Municipal vehicle was dropping off cables at the scrap yard.
The accused was alleged to be part of a syndicate that stole municipal copper cables and sold them at a local scrap yard.
“Investigation revealed that municipal electricians will go as far as making a requisition for new cables for the purpose of making urgent repairs, the cables will end up at the scrapyard for sale purposes,” said Thebe.
The municipality suffered an estimated damage of R150 000 in the process.
During the investigation, two accomplices were identified to be part of the syndicate. The municipality is yet to comment on the employee’s dismissal pending the internal investigation.
The accused are expected to make an appearance before Springbok Regional Court on 3 December 2024.
