PRASA Welcomes the sentencing of its former employee found guilty of cable theft

 

01 June 2022

 

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa welcomes the sentencing of its former employee who had been found guilty of Tampering/ Destroying of Essential infrastructure in the Mkhomazi area in April 2018 by the Scottburgh Regional Court.

 

Sphiwe Mngadi and an accomplice were caught by two PRASA security guards patrolling the rail reserve. The security guards had spotted him on our railway reserve in a PRASA marked vehicle. It was when the security guards noticed that the copper cables were removed did they confront him. He was caught with an estimated R1 million rands worth of copper and could not explain why he was in possession of 12 rolls of copper weighing approximately 192KGs.

 

Though the sentence is below the prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, it does send a strong message to some of our rogue employees who think they can continue stealing critical rail infrastructure unabated with no consequences.

 

Indeed the tide is turning against cable theft. To date, 454 suspects have been arrested for vandalism and theft, a total of 118 court cases have been finalised amounting to a combined 764 years imprisonment.

 

PRASA commends the work of the NPA, the prosecution team and the SAPS investigation team for this successful conviction and we welcome the NPA’s commitment to put more focus on copper cable theft given the critical role that passenger rail plays in our economy. Only a partnership between our law enforcement agencies will we be able to fight cable theft.

 

PRASA would like to also commend the security guards for reporting on this crime and testifying in court to ensure that the perpetrator is brought to book.

 

PRASA does not condone any acts of criminality within the organization and we have strengthened our internal processes and investigations to root out employees who are hampering and sabotaging the business.