The efforts by Manenberg’s Sergeant Daryl van Noie to ensure the incarceration of a man arrested for cable theft paid off on Wednesday when Abrahams Isgak Terblanche (33) was sentenced by the Wynberg Regional court to spend 15 years behind bars for the theft of non ferrous metal.
He was also sentenced to 15 years for the damage caused to essential PRASA infrastructure. The two sentences will be served concurrently.
Terblanche was arrested on 21 March 2018, soon after the arrest of ten male suspects aged between 20 and 37 and a 37 year old female.
They were caught red handed stealing overhead cables close to Heideveld railway station in Manenberg. Terblanche was injured while he was cutting the live cable, and was arrested after Sergeant van Noie followed leads to track him down.
The other eleven suspects are still awaiting their trial for malicious damage to property.
Cable theft and damages caused to the railway infrastructure are serious crimes with detrimental effects to our public transport system, and we encourage the public to report any criminal activity to Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
