Crime doesn’t pay, goes the Victorian proverb, something a Zimbabwean national will have an effective 20 years to reflect on.

Shedi Mhlanga, found guilty of stealing fuel from the Transnet pipeline, received a total 35 years sentence at the Pretoria Regional Court this week, after being apprehended while hiding in some bushes in the Boschkop area, along the Kendal to Waltloo Transnet pipeline route.

The case goes back to 31 December 2022 when Transnet Pipelines (TPL) personnel at the Network Operations Centre detected a significant pressure drop at around 01:55 that morning.

Security teams deployed to investigate identified a suspicious fuel tanker near a known hotspot in the Boschkop area. The driver fled into nearby bushes from his moving vehicle but was pursued by the security team who quickly made the capture.

Subsequent investigations revealed that an illegal fitting had been welded into the pipeline, facilitating the theft of 33 994 litres of petrol. The stolen fuel was recovered and confirmed to match the TPL product from the pipeline.

TPL chief executive, Sibongiseni Khathi, welcomed the court’s decision and said it sent a clear message that tampering with critical infrastructure and stealing national resources will not go unpunished.

“The sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and its impact on both the economy and society. We are proud of the swift and effective response from our security teams and the collaboration with law enforcement that led to this outcome,” Khathi said.

In July this year the court found the accused guilty and this week sentenced him as follows:

• Count 1: Tampering with essential infrastructure – 20 years imprisonment
• Count 2: Theft of fuel – 10 years imprisonment (to run concurrently with Count 1)
• Count 3: Possession of stolen property (fuel tanker) – five years imprisonment (to run concurrently with Count 1)

In total, Mhlanga has been sentenced to 35 years, with 20 years of direct imprisonment.

Written by Africa Ports & Ships and republished with permission. The original article can be found here.