Street light and copper cable thieves have been sentenced in the Drakenstein Municipality.
In the first case, three men were convicted in the Wellington Magistrate's Court for the theft of street light cables and other items.
Each suspect received a sentence of 15 years' imprisonment, of which three years were suspended for five years.
In the Paarl Regional Court, one person was found guilty of stealing wiring and copper cabling.
He was also found in possession of street light items.
He received a sentence of 12 years' imprisonment on the first charge and six years on the second, of which three years were suspended.
During the investigation, the Drakenstein Municipality's Electro-Technical Services division worked closely with the SAPS and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development by giving the court an overview of critical infrastructure crimes.
Drakenstein executive mayor Conrad Poole said the sentencing was a victory for the municipality.
