The South African Police Service (SAPS) in Mpumalanga has arrested a 26-year-old Lesotho national for tampering with essential infrastructure. The arrest occurred on Friday, 23 January 2026, following a report of cable theft on a railway line at a farm in Standerton.
According to police, security guards interrupted the suspect and three accomplices while they were allegedly stealing copper cables. The guards requested immediate backup. While three individuals evaded capture at the scene, the Lesotho national was apprehended. He was found in possession of a bolt cutter and stolen copper cable.
The arrested suspect informed authorities about the group’s vehicle and agreed to locate it. However, the other suspects had already fled the area with the vehicle toward Greylingstad.
Police in Greylingstad were alerted and later spotted the vehicle. A chase ensued, resulting in the driver losing control and overturning the vehicle. Upon police arrival at the crash site, the suspects had fled on foot. A search of the vehicle yielded approximately 402 metres of copper cable, alleged to have been cut from the railway line used for transporting goods to the harbour.
Authorities state the stolen cable has an estimated value of R150,000 and that such incidents severely impact the economy by causing significant delivery delays.
The arrested suspect is scheduled to appear before the Standerton Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 26 January 2026. He faces formal charges of Tampering with Essential Infrastructure and Contravening the Immigration Act. A search for the three outstanding suspects continues.