Cable theft cause of Western Extension outage
Waters believes that concerted efforts need to be made to safeguard the metro’s electrical infrastructure.
Western Extension was again plunged into darkness in the early hours of today (April 19) after cable theft on Moore Avenue.
According to Ward 73 PR Clr Mike Waters, this has become a weekly occurrence and is exacerbated by continuous load-shedding.
“Looking at how the affected cable was dug up and cut is a clear indication that cable theft syndicates are operating like well-oiled machines,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the community pays the ultimate price, spending countless hours in the dark with electrical appliances at risk of being damaged and food spoiling.”
Speaking to members of the energy department who arrived at the site at 11:30, Waters confirmed that the teams would attempt to isolate the affected cable.
“Making use of the ring-feeder, power should be restored. Teams will continue to make the necessary joints and repairs,” he said.
“It is estimated that 1kg of copper cable could be sold for R100. Although this may not seem like much, one has to take into account what the actual cost of such a repair is.
“Considering that cable and joints need to be ordered and teams are required to make the repairs, the cost to the Ekurhuleni metro is well above what thieves make by selling copper.”
Last May, the SAPS provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, met with stakeholders, including members of the Gauteng government, the management of State-Owned Entities and all law enforcement agencies, to establish the Regional Essential Infrastructure task team.
At the time, it was said the multi-disciplinary task team would solely focus on preventing and combating theft and damage to essential infrastructure, thus taking these tasks away from the police stations already buckling under pressure with increased crime and lack of resources.
About 30 task teams operate throughout the province on a 24-hour basis across five demarcated districts – Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, Tshwane, West Rand and Sedibeng.
The public is encouraged to provide the teams with information or tip-offs related to the theft of cables and damage to essential infrastructure as and when it occurs.
Incidents can be reported to the SAPS acting district commissioner of Ekurhuleni, Brigadier Lebohang Machakela, on 082 560 3375. Alternatively, call the SAPS commander, Captain Julius Ndou, on 061 998 0066.
ALSO READ: UPDATE: Power outage to drag on until the weekend for some areas
ALSO READ: Task team established to police essential infrastructure
