JOHANNESBURG — The Booysens Magistrate’s Court has sentenced David Nxumalo, 40, and Bruce Maurice, 45, to 10 years in prison each for separate incidents involving tampering with essential infrastructure.
Police spokesperson Lt. Col. Mpho Tshetlhane stated that Nxumalo was convicted for illegally connecting electricity from a City Power pillar box to flats in Booysens Reserve. He was caught by a security guard on November 4, 2024, and taken into custody at the Booysens police station.
In a separate incident, Bruce Maurice was arrested on September 4, 2024, in Rosettenville. Police responded to suspicious activity and found him dragging a dustbin containing approximately five meters of stolen copper cable. Further investigation led to a nearby Telkom main hole that had been tampered with. A Telkom technician confirmed the cable had been stolen from the site.
Maurice was convicted and sentenced on May 12, 2025, and also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Johannesburg District Commissioner Maj. Gen. Nonhlanhla Kubheka praised the court’s decision:
“The sentence given to the two accused should serve as a deterrent to those who intend to tamper with any form of essential infrastructure.”
