Telkom copper thief hit with 25-year jail term

Johannesburg - Local telecommunications company Telkom [JSE:TKG] has revealed that a copper cable thief has received a harsh jail sentence amid an updated criminal law.

In a statement addressing sabotage of Telkom’s national network, the company further said that it had “secured an important legal victory” earlier this year regarding a copper thief case.

The Boksburg Magistrate Court has sentenced Paul Mathonsi to 106 years in jail for his role in a copper cable theft syndicate, said Telkom.

The 106 year concurrent sentence was handed down in April this year as an effective 25 years, added the company.

Fin24 understands that the Mathonsi used a false name of Sambol Sambane Nyalunga.

“Copper cable theft and the damage to infrastructure is costing Telkom, along with many other companies, millions of rands each year in repairs, lost working hours and lost customers,” said Jacqui O’Sullivan in a statement over the weekend.

“We are encouraged that the magistrate recognised this impact by handing down such a heavy sentence,” O’Sullivan said.

What do you think of this sentence? Does cable theft deserve this type of sentence? Tell us by clicking here.

In May this year, Telkom said that cable theft has cost it over R200m in losses during its 2015 financial year.

The company further revealed that it spent R100m on cable theft repair costs and another R107m on security services.

Telkom also said that it’s experienced over 6 000 incidents of cable theft across its copper network over the last year.

Meanwhile, the sentencing of Mathonsi came just before the Criminal Matters Amendment Act was introduced in May this year.

This Act allows for harsher sentencing and bail conditions for people who are found to have purposefully damaged infrastructure.

Telkom, along with companies such as electricity provider Eskom, were consulted by lawmakers prior to the Act being implemented, O’Sullivan told Fin24.