President Zuma enacts law targetting cable thieves
Thieves targeting essential infrastructure like copper cable are set to face tougher penalties after South African President Jacob Zuma signed the Criminal Matters Amendment Act into law on Monday.
Thieves targetting essential infrastructure like copper cable are set to face tougher penalties after South African President Jacob Zuma signed the Criminal Matters Amendment Act into law on Monday.
“The amendments provide for changes to the law pertaining to infrastructure-related offences by making stricter provisions for the granting of bail, the sentencing of offenders and creating a new offence to criminalise damage to, tampering with or destruction of essential infrastructure which may interfere with the provision of basic services to the public,” the Presidency said.
“The Act also aims to create a new offence relating to the essential infrastructure as well as amend the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, 1998, so as to insert a new offence in Schedule 1 to the Act and to provide for matters connected therewith.”
Those convicted under the new law can face up to 30 years in jail or fines of up to R100 million.
ANA
(File photo)