BLOEMFONTEIN: Two foreign nationals found guilty of theft of essential infrastructure and vandalism thereof in Bloemfontein were handed hefty sentences of ten years direct imprisonment. They received additional six months for contravention of the South African Immigration Act, being illegally in South Africa.
The Bloemfontein Regional Court imposed harsh sentences on each of the accused from Lesotho, Lefu Letshela (18) and Neo Sello (20) yesterday – Wednesday, 3 September. The court did not spare them despite pleading. The two young men pleaded guilty to all charges instituted against them.
Their sentencing was the culmination of the Bloemspruit police investigation following their arrest by the Heidedal police on 27 February this year. They were arrested after the police found in their possession of a Centlec transformer which they had loaded on a wheelbarrow. The officers contacted Centlec technicians who confirmed the transformer belonged to the entity and was stolen from the Bloemspruit area.
Centlec has welcomed the hefty sentences imposed against the two accused saying: “The court highlighted seriousness of the offenses committed by the accused and the negative consequences for society because of their actions. As Centlec, we hope that the sentence will serve to discourage both the convicted individuals and the wider community from committing similar offenses.”
