A 43-year-old former cellphone tower technician has been sentenced to an effective 20 years in prison after forensic fingerprint evidence linked him to a burglary at a cellphone tower site.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) Free State Provincial Detectives and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the sentence, which follows a conviction on charges of damaging essential infrastructure and theft.
In April 2025, a business burglary occurred at a cellphone tower site near Rouxville. Containers belonging to MTN and Vodacom were forced open, and copper cables were stolen. No immediate eyewitnesses or suspects were identified at the time.
The Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) processed the crime scene and successfully lifted a set of fingerprints. The fingerprint analysis identified Sello Dichaba, 43, a contracted technician employed to service cellphone towers for both major networks.
Investigators Warrant Officer Moeketsi Mohotsi and Warrant Officer Krokkie Engelbrecht, working with NPA Advocate Keith Muller, arrested Dichaba. He faced two counts of damage to essential infrastructure and two counts of theft from infrastructure.
Dichaba was sentenced to a combined total of 50 years imprisonment. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, resulting in an effective term of 20 years.
