The Pretoria Regional Court has sentenced a Gauteng man to five years in prison for wearing SA National Defence Force (Sandf) uniform without authority.

SANDF spokesperson Col Ronald Maseko said Irvin Thapelo Mokgosi was jailed for falsely representing himself as a member of the army and possessing and/or wearing uniform with distinctive marks or crests belonging to the military, without the necessary authority. It was ordered that both counts be read together for sentencing.

In addition, the court on Thursday deemed Mokgosi unfit to possess a firearm in terms of the Firearms Control Act.

Mokgosi was arrested during the clearing-in procedure of 21 South African Infantry Battalion soldiers at Tshwane Regiment in Thaba Tshwane, Pretoria in May 2019, Maseko said.

His lawyer pleaded guilty to all charges on his behalf on Thursday after entering into a plea bargain with the state.

SANDF chief General Solly Shoke welcomed the sentence and warned that “no act of criminality will be tolerated and allowed to go unpunished in the military”.

“The wearing of any SANDF uniform items, including current military paraphernalia, when you are not an SANDF member, is a punishable offence.”