SASOLBURG – On Friday, 30 January 2026, Zakaria Sekgoane Tamane (56) appeared before the Sasolburg Regional Court, where he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery with aggravating circumstances and was sentenced accordingly.
During November 2024, two security guards on duty at the ERD Warehouse in the Naledi Industrial Area were attacked by seven suspects wearing balaclavas. The guards were restrained with cables and locked inside a storeroom whilst the suspects drove a truck into the warehouse and stole three drums of copper cable valued at approximately R1.9 million.
The warehouse was fitted with multiple surveillance cameras, which assisted during the investigation.
ALSO READ: Hawks investigate copper cable theft in Bloemfontein
As part of the investigation, polygraph tests were conducted on all security guards. One guard failed the test and subsequently made a written confession before failing to report for duty.
Following an intensive investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation in Welkom, Zakaria Sekgoane Tamane was arrested on 19 November 2024. He appeared in the Sasolburg Magistrates’ Court on several occasions and was denied bail.
The court sentenced Tamane to three years’ direct imprisonment.
The Provincial Head of the Hawks in the Free State, Major General Mokgadi Bokaba, has welcomed the sentencing of the accused linked to the high-value copper cable robbery. She emphasises the commitment of the Hawks to combating organised crime, particularly offences that threaten economic infrastructure and security.
Investigations into other suspects involved in the matter are continuing.
