THAMSANQA Cetyiwe (35) was last week sentenced by the East London Regional Court to 15 years in prison for breaking into a cellphone tower.
He was found guilty on charges of housebreaking with intent to steal, theft, damage to essential infrastructure, and possession of housebreaking implements.
According to Hawks spokesperson, Captain Yolisa Mgolodela, Cetyiwe was arrested by the East London based Serious Organised Crime Investigation of the Hawks, jointly with Combined Private Investigating (CPI) Security members on February 6, 2023, and was remanded in custody ever since.
“On February 6, 2023, at about 14:00, CPI members chased a suspect driving a white VW Polo vehicle with a CA registration number.
“The suspect, who later happened to be Cetyiwe, was suspected of having broken into a cellphone tower at Cove Ridge tower,” Mgolodela reported.
“Cetyiwe, upon realizing that he was being pursued, decided to jump out of the car and ran into the bushes near the airport entrance to evade arrest. The Hawks were summoned, and Cetyiwe was caught,” she said.
“Upon searching his vehicle, one lithium battery and housebreaking implements were found inside the boot of the vehicle.
“Cetyiwe was arrested on the spot as he could not give a satisfactory reason for possession of the items.
“It was further found out that the car he was driving was also reported stolen in Cape Town,” she added.
“After a series of court appearances, he was ultimately convicted and sentenced on July 24,” she further added.
He was sentenced as follows: Count 1: Housebreaking with intent to steal, he was sentenced to seven (7) years direct imprisonment.
Count 2: Theft, he was sentenced to seven (7) years direct imprisonment.
Count 3: Damage to essential infrastructure, he was sentenced to fifteen (15) years direct imprisonment.
Count 4: Possession of housebreaking implements, he was given three (3) years direct imprisonment
All the sentences are to run concurrently with the 15-year sentence for damage to essential infrastructure.
The Provincial Head Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya commended the tremendous success by the team as the sentence would deter the commission of such conduct by would-be perpetrators.
