Gauteng, South Africa – Jacob Blessing Sibusiso Magudulela, aged 31, and Givers Dube, aged 27, were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, December 6, 2023. They were convicted for contravening the Criminal Matters Amendment Act 18 of 2015, specifically for tampering with essential infrastructure.

According to South African Police Service, the pair were found guilty on the same day, December 6, 2023, which led to their sentencing. Magudulela and Dube collaborated in a scheme to steal diesel on Thursday, November 2, 2023, in Jameson Park, Alrode. A security officer from Bidvest Protea Coin, upon receiving a radio message about a pressure drop in the line, drove with a colleague to Mapleton near the N3 highway and stopped behind a house facing Mulberry Street.

Upon their arrival, the security officers observed the two accused transferring diesel into an Isuzu truck. A subsequent search of the truck revealed six bins filled with diesel, resulting in the arrest of both Magudulela and Dube.

Further investigation revealed that within the RDP house where the vehicle was parked, a hole had been dug, creating a tunnel toward the pipelines. Additionally, fittings had been installed on the pipelines, and various tools including a generator, grinder, and spades were found on the premises.