Pastor Mlotha Nelson Usale, a subordinate of Pastor Hastings Salanje at Gods Chapel Church, has begun serving a 10-year prison sentence in South Africa for his role in a network tower battery theft syndicate.
The Pretoria Magistrate’s Court found Usale guilty of tampering with essential infrastructure and fraud, after he orchestrated the theft of batteries from Vodacom and MTN network towers.
The syndicate, which targeted network towers in South Africa, stole batteries and sold them to unsuspecting customers through social media platforms under the names SOLAR MART and SUN SHOP.
Usale’s arrest and conviction followed a lengthy investigation, which uncovered the extent of the syndicate’s operations.
The court heard that Usale had abused his welcome in South Africa and showed no consideration for the victims, who lost a significant amount of money due to his actions.
Usale fled to Malawi but was later arrested and extradited to South Africa to face trial.
The court ordered Usale to serve 10 years in prison, with the sentences for fraud running concurrently. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The magistrate criticized Usale for abusing his welcome in South Africa and showing no consideration for the victims, who lost a significant amount of money due to his actions.
Meanwhile, authorities in Malawi are yet to comment on the matter.
