Africa-Press – South-Africa. There have been more than 2 000 incidents of cable theft and vandalism in the space of one year in Johannesburg.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the incidents had been recorded during the 2022/23 financial year.
“In the past week alone, City Power has reported 14 incidents of copper cable theft and vandalism across Johannesburg,” he said.
Mangena added that 278 people had been arrested in connection with the 2 000 vandalism and theft cases.
Most recently, two people – aged 34 and 40 – were apprehended in Alexandra when law enforcement officers discovered 34kg of shiny copper cables in their scrap metal yard.
Now, in a bid to reduce the frequency of theft and vandalism, City Power would “intensify scrap metal raids”, said Mangena.
“The joint multidisciplinary operation, conducted by the City Power Security Risk Management Team and the South African Police Service (SAPS), aims to tackle the prevalent problem of cable theft.”
He said that copper cables were highly sought after on illicit markets and at scrap metal yards, and were “valuable commodities frequently targeted by criminals” because they were relatively easy to steal and had a high resale value.
The raids would form part of City Power’s security strategy to combat crimes targeting the electricity grid, Mangena said.
“By focusing on intelligence gathering, prevention, and successful apprehension and prosecution of suspects, City Power aims to reduce essential infrastructure crimes and mitigate revenue losses.”
He urged residents to report any instances of cable theft, vandalism, or suspicious activities related to electrical infrastructure by calling 0800 116 166, sending a WhatsApp message to 083 579 4497, or contacting SAPS on 10111.
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