The Pretoria Regional Court has handed down a 35-year sentence to Shedi Mhlanga, who was convicted of tampering with essential infrastructure, theft of fuel, and possession of stolen property from Transnet Pipelines (TPL).
Mhlanga, a Zimbabwean national, was found guilty of all charges in July.
On Monday, the court handed down a sentence of 20 years imprisonment for tampering with essential infrastructure as well as 10 years for theft of fuel and five years for being in possession of a stolen fuel tanker. The court ruled that the ten- and five-year sentences would run concurrently with the 20 year-jail term.
Mhlanga’s case dates back to the early hours of 31 December 2022, when TPL’s Network Operations Centre detected a significant pressure drop on the Kendal to Waltloo pipeline around 01:55. Security teams were deployed and they identified a suspicious fuel tanker near a known hotspot in the Boschkop area.
The driver, later identified as Shedi Mhlanga, attempted to flee by abandoning the moving vehicle and escaping into nearby bushes. However, ground teams apprehended Mhlanga.
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, this week welcomed the conviction and sentencing, which, he said, had followed close collaboration with police and the company’s security teams.
“This verdict sends a clear message that tampering with critical infrastructure and stealing our nation’s resources are grave offences that will not go unpunished. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and its impact on both the economy and society,” said Khathi.
“We are proud of the swift and effective response from our security teams and the collaboration with law enforcement that led to this outcome."
TPL said it would continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to combat similar crimes and that it “remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding our infrastructure and ensuring the security of our national assets”.
The company urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities or incidents along its pipelines to the Tip-Offs Anonymous Hotline: 0800 003 056.
