Durban - The Camperdown Regional Court has sentenced seven men to 10 years imprisonment after they cut and stole railway tracks in Richmond.
National Prosecuting Authority provincial spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Mlamuli Mntungwana, 38, Sipho Mkhwanazi, 52, Felamandla Mpanza, 45, Nhlakanipho Mkhwanazi, 33, Thembinkosi Ngema, 41, Sabelo Mathola, 32, and Njabulo Ncube, 32, were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, three of which were suspended with conditions, after they pleaded guilty to tampering with, damaging or destroying essential infrastructure or colluding and assisting another person to do so.
The men will effectively serve seven years in jail.
Ramkisson-Kara said in January 2022 the men cut and stole railway tracks in the Richmond area.
“They were arrested the next day, while on their way to the scrap yard with the railway tracks loaded in bakkies. The estimated value of the metal is R750 000.”
Private security firm, Magma Security and Investigation, which was involved in the arrests of the accused, said it was pleased with the sentence.
Shaheen Suleiman, the owner of Magma Security, said the State had requested that the security officers involved in the matter submit a photo album obtained during the arrest of the accused.
"The photographs were handed in as an exhibit to assist the court,“ he said.
Suleiman recalled that on the day of the arrests, Magma received information that three vehicles carrying suspected stolen Transnet railway tracks were travelling from the Richmond area to Durban via Umlaas Road.
He said Magma officers then spotted the three vehicles approaching the Umlaas Road intersection and managed to stop two.
"There were two occupants in each vehicle. In both vehicles, members spotted cut up railway tracks, about two metre lengths each. The suspects were immediately detained," he said.
Suleiman said the third vehicle was intercepted later by Magma officers on the N3 towards Durban.
"This vehicle was also loaded with cut up pieces of railway tracks, gas bottles and a cutting torch. There were three suspects arrested in this vehicle," he said.
Ramkisson-Kara said in aggravation of sentence, the State told the court that the offence was serious, prevalent and was negatively affecting the country’s ailing economy.
She said the matter was handled in court by State Advocates Zukiswa Dyasi and Lungile Zondi.
“The NPA welcomes the successful finalisation of this matter,” she said.