Mpumalanga copper thief handed suspended sentence
The Hawks in Mpumalanga has welcomed the conviction and sentencing of 59-year-old Johannes Harmse for theft and possession of stolen copper cables.
Harmse was arrested at a Klipspruit farm in Delmas in 2015.
At the time, he was found with nine drums of rolled cables worth R1.2 million.
On Thursday, the Delmas Magistrate’s Court has found Harmse guilty and sentenced him to 6 years in prison, wholly suspended for five years.
“The Provincial Head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, Major General Zodwa Mokoena has congratulated both the investigating and the prosecution teams in a hope that the sentence will set an exam to those who are still buying stolen properties,” says regional Hawks spokesperson Dineo Sekgotodi.
“Major General further said that theft of copper cables affects the growth of the economy of the country.”
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