Byline: Nonjabuliso Nhlambo
18 June 2023
Bethal Regional court recently sentenced two(2) truck drivers for coal theft from a local mine at Overlooked colliery situated in the district of Govan Mbeki.
It is alleged that on the night of 17 September 2022, two(2) trucks entered the coal mine with the aim of loading coal to a power station.
IBased on the mine procedures, every truck that is loaded with coal has to pass through the weigh bridge but the two trucks never did.
Both the drivers were instructed to stop before leaving the mine and they didn’t give a satisfactory reason as to why they did not go through the weighing process.
The security official that apprehended the accused persons took the truck keys from both drivers and went to the weigh bridge to verify why the trucks were not weighed.
He then called the security supervisor for assistance in ensuring that the suspects are taken to the security room and the police were summoned to the mine for further assistance.
Upon arrival at the mine, police found the security officials and two drivers were handed to the police for further arrest and detention.
After the docket was registered, it was allocated to Detective Sergeant December Jele for investigation.
The accused persons appeared before Bethal Magistrate’s Court facing a charge of theft on several occasions and the matter was transferred to the Regional court for finalization.
During their appearance on 05 June 2024, the court found a Congo National, Mungambe Malekera(42) and Thabani Celumusa Makhunga(26) guilty of theft of coal and were both sentenced to ten(10) years imprisonment and in terms of section 103 Act 60/2000 of fire-arms control act, both accused persons were deemed unfit to possess a fire-arms.
