City Power will engage the South African Police Service with a view to strengthen security controls on Covid-19 permits.
This was announced after the power utility arrested three suspects who used fake Covid-19 permits to vandalise and damage the electricity infrastructure network.
The suspects were arrested on Wednesday after City Power Security Risk Control received a tip-off about three individuals who were digging across the road on the corner of Grafton and Hopkins streets in Yeoville.
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Armed security personnel responded and found three suspects busy digging up City Power live cables.
“The suspects produced a fake Covid-19 permit stamped with a police station stamp purportedly authorising them to travel to ‘fix electricity’,” said Sgt Thela, general manager security and risk for City Power.
“The suspects had no City Power ID cards nor job cards.
“It was clear that this was vandalism with the intention to steal the infrastructure or connect into our network illegally.”
The suspects were detained and taken to Yeoville Police Station where a case of vandalism and damage to essential infrastructure was opened.
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“We also expect the police to add more charges relating to disaster management laws, including travelling during lockdown and possession of a false permit,” he said.
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown, City Power has dealt with at least on average four incidents of vandalism and theft of cables or other infrastructure.
“Most of them happened around Joburg Central, Roodepoort and Lenasia.
“We applaud the member of the community for reporting such criminality, and the swift response by our security officers to arrest the suspects.
“We spend millions of Rands annually fixing our electricity network infrastructure ravaged by such criminal activities,” he added.
“We urge law enforcement agencies to assist in clamping down on the use of such fake Covid-19 permits on the City Power electricity network.”
As an essential service City Power has created Covid-19 special permits to enable its workers to keep working.
“Any person working on our electricity network is required to produce a valid Covid-19 permit bearing the signature and stamp, City Power ID card, work order and RSA identity document.
“Failure to produce such documents – the person is deemed illegal and should be detained,” he said.
City Power urged members of the public to report incidents of cable theft and vandalism to the 24-hour Security Risk Control Room on 011 490 7900/7911/7553.
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