Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula welcomed the sentencing of former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) employee Sphiwe Mngadi to a 12 year jail term.
Mngadi was convicted on Tuesday at the Scottburgh Court for tempering with and destroying essential infrastructure in 2018.
“We are intensifying our efforts within the Justice Crime Prevention and Security Cluster to ensure that we eliminate syndicates hellbent on destroying public infrastructure. It is promising to see Prasa’s commitment to rid itself of corrupt officials who work to collapse this important agency bearing fruits. The sentencing of this former Prasa employee will serve as a deterrent to many who might have similar corrupt intentions,” Mbalula said.
Delivering this year’s Budget Vote speech of the Department, Mbalula reiterated his call for the ban of scrap metal exports. The Department of Transport is working closely with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition towards ensuring that such a ban becomes a reality.
Mbalula reaffirms his support for the Criminal Matters Amendment Act, 2015 (Act No. 18 of 2015) which came into operation on 1 June 2016. The Act explicitly elevates the crime of theft and damage of public infrastructure in the rail environment, amongst others, effectively to economic sabotage.
NPA’s KwaZulu Natal spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said on the day of the incident two Prasa security guards on patrol spotted Mngadi and another person near a railway line. Since they were in a Prasa vehicle, the guards found nothing out of order and they continued with their patrolling duties. She said after 20 minutes, the guards returned to the site and found that the copper cables had been removed.
They then approached Mngadi and asked him for his authority to remove the cables.
Ramkisson-Kara said Mngadi could not explain why he was in possession of the12 rolls of copper cables (approximately 192 kgs) that he had removed. The copper had an estimated value of R1 million. The guards contacted their management and Mngadi and his accomplice were arrested.
“The accomplice was acquitted as he was Mngadi’s subordinate and was not aware of correct procedures. In court, Regional Court Prosecutor, Sibusiso Mhlongo led the testimonies of the two security guards who were on patrol, as well as managers from Prasa who told the court that at no stage did they ever authorise Mngadi to remove the cables,” she said.
Ramkisson-Kara said in sentencing Mngadi, the court deviated from the minimum sentence of 15 year imprisonment due to the fact that he was a first time offender and had been unemployed since 2018 when he was dismissed after his arrest.
“The NPA welcomes this successful prosecution and appreciates the excellent partnership with the SAPS investigating team. The theft of copper cables has an adverse effect on service delivery and negatively impacts our economy. The NPA has made a renewed commitment to put more focus on this kind of crime,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
Prasa also welcomed the jail term.
“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,“ Prasa said in a statement on Wednesday..
Prasa said 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 said.