Key points
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Two men got 10 years each for illegal electricity and copper theft.
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Police recovered five meters of copper cable in a dustbin.
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Sentences aim to deter crimes against essential infrastructure.
Two Gauteng men will spend the next decade in prison after they were convicted for damaging public infrastructure in separate crimes. The Booysens Magistrate’s Court sentenced 40-year-old David Nxumalo and 45-year-old Bruce Maurice to 10 years each.
Nxumalo’s case involved an illegal power connection. He tapped into a City Power pillar box and redirected electricity to a block of flats in Booysens Reserve.
A security guard caught him in the act on November 4, 2024, and alerted the police. He was arrested and taken to Booysens police station.
Police discover copper cable hidden in a dustbin
In a separate case, police caught Maurice on September 4, 2024, in Rosettenville. Officers responded to a tip about suspicious activity.
They found Maurice dragging a dustbin down the street. Inside, they discovered about five meters of stolen copper cable.
Investigators followed the trail and found a Telkom main hole nearby with the lid removed. A technician confirmed the cable had been cut from there. Maurice was arrested on the spot.
On May 12, 2025, the court found him guilty and handed him a 10-year jail term. Additionally, he was declared unfit to own a firearm, a decision the court said was necessary for public safety.
Sentences send a strong message against cable theft
Johannesburg District Commissioner Major General Nonhlanhla Kubheka praised the sentences, saying they should serve as a warning to others.
“This should send a clear message to anyone who thinks it’s okay to tamper with essential infrastructure. These crimes don’t just hurt companies—they affect entire communities,” she said.
Copper cable theft and illegal power connections have disrupted services and caused major financial losses across South Africa. Authorities hope these sentences will help reduce the trend by showing that offenders will face serious consequences.
