A man has been sentenced to 20 years’ direct imprisonment for stealing cables belonging to telecommunications company Telkom and electricity distributor Centlec.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has commended the prosecution team and investigators from the South African Police Service for securing a substantial custodial sentence for essential infrastructure theft.
According to the NPA, Braam Bothma (21) was sentenced to by the Bloemfontein Regional Court following multiple convictions related to the theft and damage of essential infrastructure in the Noordhoek area.
Bothma entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the State in terms of Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of tampering with, damaging, or destroying essential infrastructure, two counts of theft of infrastructure and one count of possession of suspected stolen property in contravention of Section 36. He was convicted on all counts.
The NPA notes the first incident occurred on 18 April 2025, when the accused was apprehended in the Noordhoek area while cutting and removing overhead cables belonging to Centlec and Telkom.
These cables form part of the essential infrastructure responsible for electricity and communication services.
The accused intended to sell the stolen cables for personal gain, says the NPA, adding that a second incident took place on 6 June 2025, also in Noordhoek, where the accused was again caught cutting and removing electrical cables from a street pole. These cables formed part of Centlec’s electricity distribution network, further disrupting service delivery to the community.
Telkom has endured years of heavy losses and operational strain due to persistent copper cable theft, with incidents costing the company hundreds of millions of rand annually at their peak and billions cumulatively over time.
Beyond direct repair and replacement costs, theft has caused widespread service disruptions, disconnecting thousands of customers and undermining reliability.
The growing sophistication of criminal syndicates and the high cost of securing infrastructure have compounded the problem, ultimately pushing Telkom to accelerate its shift away from vulnerable copper networks toward fibre and wireless technologies.
During sentencing, the State, led by advocate Amore Coetzee, presented additional evidence relating to a prior incident on 15 November 2022.
On that occasion, the accused was found in possession of cables while in the company of others in the same area.
The NPA points out that although the cables could not be conclusively linked to Centlec, the accused failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for their possession, leading to the inference that they were stolen.
In aggravation of sentence, Coetzee emphasised the serious impact of infrastructure-related crimes.
The court heard that such offences result in significant financial losses for service providers and ultimately burden law-abiding citizens through increased tariffs and disrupted services. For sentencing purposes, all counts were taken together, resulting in an effective sentence of 20 years’ direct imprisonment. The accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The NPA says it remains resolute in combating essential infrastructure-related crimes, which undermine economic stability, disrupt service delivery and erode public confidence in critical systems.
“Crimes targeting essential infrastructure hinder economic growth, disrupt electricity and communication networks, and place additional strain on already limited resources. The NPA will continue to prioritise these prosecutions to safeguard the country’s infrastructure and support sustainable development,” says the NPA.
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