A WOMAN believed to be the kingpin of a syndicate selling prepaid electricity was sentenced to 42 years in prison at the South Gauteng High Court in Joburg on Tuesday.
Maphuthi Chiliza (60) from De Deur, south of Joburg, will serve 18 years in prison for managing a criminal enterprise.
She earned a further 12 years for participating in a criminal enterprise in the form of racketeering, 10 years for the theft of a prepaid electricity credit dispensing machine belonging to Eskom and 10 years for numerous counts of theft related to the illegal sale of electricity.
Her sentences will run concurrently.
Her son, Nqobile (25) was found guilty of participating in a criminal enterprise, theft of an Eskom credit dispensing machine and numerous counts of electricity theft. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Tebogo Rakau, divisional executive for security at Eskom, said the sentences will send a strong message to those involved in this crime that electricity theft is a serious criminal offence and is viewed as such by the justice system.
Two other men involved in the syndicate responsible for recruiting customers, Themba Dlamini and Tlhaloganyo Matthews, were each sentenced to an effective six years in prison.
The accused were found guilty in December after a lengthy four-year trial. – News24
