A 33-year-old man was caught red-handed around midday on Thursday cutting copper sheets from the roof of the Pietermaritzburg City Hall and loading them into a black bag.
An alleged copper thief’s bold act of taking off the roof sheeting of the Pietermartizburg City Hall in broad daylight has lead him behind bars.
The 33-year old suspect was caught in flagrante delicto on Thursday, while he was busy taking away copper sheets from the roof and folding them into a black bag.
When the suspect noticed he was caught already, he tried escaping but municipal security officers were able to take hold of him.
He was arrested and handed over to the Mountain Rise police.
Captain Nqobile Gwala, KZN police spokesperson, said:
“The man will appear at the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday facing charges of malicious damage to property and possession of housebreaking implements.”
The city’s Thobeka Mafumbatha said they were thankful to Safe City and municipal security officers for making it possible to arrest the copper thief.
