Man sentenced to 10 years for R26m mineral theft
Police say there's a syndicate allegedly involved in stealing and illegally trading zircon and more
In a significant legal development in KwaZulu-Natal, a 37-year-old individual named Sphamandla Mdletshe has been handed a 10-year prison sentence for the theft of minerals valued at R26 million. This verdict was reached in the Richards Bay Regional Court following a plea agreement with the state. The arrest of Mdletshe occurred on August 16, 2025, in the North West province, where he had evaded apprehension for nearly a year.
He faced charges of theft involving minerals and underwent multiple court appearances before ultimately being convicted and incarcerated. Police have confirmed that the case against the remaining suspects will be reviewed on August 27 for a pre-trial conference. Authorities at the South African Police Service (SAPS) expressed satisfaction with the 10-year sentence handed to Mdletshe, emphasizing the ongoing challenges posed by illegal mining activities in the region.
Written by urgent.news from SABC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.