During the weekend 2 males were arrested for alleged cable theft, vandalism, and illegal connections in Johannesburg, a recorded number of 20 cable thefts were recorded during the weekend, most of them found in the Moffatview policing area.
“The arrested suspects include two Zimbabweans who were arrested in Kya Sands after [allegedly] being found by our security patrollers digging copper cables in the area. Another cable theft suspect was arrested in Jeppestown while [allegedly] digging and cutting the cables.” Said City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena.
The suspects arrested were allegedly connecting to the network’s city power’s ABC cables to illegally connect the network and sell the illegal electricity to people living in the informal settlements nearby.
“We will intensify the arrests with the help of the police. Vandalism of infrastructure and theft is the leading contributor to electricity supply problems in the City of Joburg and costs City Power millions in lost revenue.” Said Isaac Mangena.
A rise in cable theft has cost the city of Cape Town R40M in the past four months, blackouts now occur daily in the area due to cable theft, this has caused communities to lose faith in the matter being resolved by police.
In Bonteheuwel, 106 kilograms of copper and cable worth an estimated twenty-five thousand rands were confiscated in a raid from a 51-year-old woman. In the same area, two workers were shot and injured while restoring cables on the central train line.
” everyday somebody complains in different streets that there are blackouts due to vandalizing the boxes, then I just lock it continuously” Bonteheuwel resident, Elizabeth Lingerveldt says
Ward council, Angus McKenzie says,” the cables are five thousand rands a length so pulling one a day, it’s five thousand rands at the scrap yard”
