A Zimbabwean man has been slapped with A 34-year jail sentence in South Africa after he was arrested for vandalising essential infrastructure at a game reserve.

Zakhele Hadebe (51) was convicted by the Musina Regional Court for tampering with essential infrastructure, theft of non-ferrous metal, contravening the Immigration Act, and trespassing.

Limpopo National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said Hadebe and an accomplice struck at Maremani Nature Reserve on 11 May 2023, targeting a private electrical installation.

"They opened a transformer and dug up several metres of underground cable. The electricity was critical for pumping water to both wildlife and residents in the reserve," she said.

While Hadebe's partner-in-crime vanished into the bush, he wasn't so lucky. "He was arrested on site after being traced through their escape route," Malabi-Dzhangi added.

During trial, Hadebe confessed to being an illegal immigrant and trespassing but denied the theft and vandalism charges.

Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo, Advocate Ivy Thenga, warned that such crimes will be met with no mercy.

"Crimes that target essential infrastructure directly affect service delivery and deprive communities of basic services. The NPA will continue to adopt a focused approach to ensure that, upon conviction, harsher sentences are imposed," said Advocate Thenga.