Man Imprisoned After Conviction for Tampering With and Damaging Essential Infrastructure

KIMBERLEY – The District Commissioner of Pixley ka Seme District, Major General Nomana Mtukushe, welcomed the conviction and sentencing of a 20-year-old man to five years’ imprisonment after he was found guilty of tampering with and damaging essential infrastructure by the De Aar Regional Court recently.

The incident came to the attention of two vigilant detectives from De Aar who were conducting patrols in their area on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, when they spotted the accused tampering with municipal streetlight poles.

The members observed the suspect for a while and noticed that he was opening the small compartments on the poles to remove electrical copper cables.

Upon confirming the accused’s unlawful actions, the two members swiftly moved in to apprehend him. He attempted to evade arrest; however, with the assistance of a community member, the officers managed to apprehend him.

Upon searching the accused, they found him in possession of copper cables and equipment allegedly used in the commission of the crime.

A case of tampering with and damaging essential infrastructure was registered at De Aar SAPS and allocated to Detective Sergeant Shawn Moses of De Aar Organised Crime Investigations for further investigation.

Through his diligent investigative work, Detective Sergeant Moses secured a successful conviction against Leozandrio Beukes, who was also declared unfit to possess a firearm by the court.

The District Commissioner of Pixley ka Seme District, Major General Nomana Mtukushe, commended the members for their excellent work and expressed her appreciation to the community member who assisted the SAPS members in securing the arrest.

The SAPS in the Northern Cape remains committed to combating crime and protecting essential infrastructure throughout the province. These efforts are closely aligned with the organisation’s newly established Reset Agenda.