WESTERN CAPE – Vredendal Regional Court sentenced three accused for essential infrastructure-related offences on Wednesday, 15 December 2021.

Munyaradzi Kachingwe (32), Cosmos Ziwande (38) and Reddy Mbangula (29) were arrested by police on 17 July 2021 after they were caught driving a bakkie with MTN tower batteries in Clanwilliams.

They were arrested and charged with possession, tampering or damaging the essential infrastructure. They were also charged in terms of the Immigration Act.

The probe led the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team based in Cape Town to a farm in Grootfontein where the tower was damaged and batteries were stolen. The accused appeared in court on several occasions until they were convicted in October 2021. They were kept in custody throughout the trial.

Kachingwe and Ziwande were each sentenced to seven years direct imprisonment for damaging the essential infrastructure whereas Mbangula was only convicted for contravening the Immigration Act. He was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment or R300-00 fine.

Source: South African Police Service