Forum formed to fight cable theft
The forum has already minimised cable-theft in Windmill Park and surrounding areas.
Various companies and government departments formed a forum on February 9 to fight cable theft in Windmill Park and surrounding areas.
The Cable Theft Forum comprises SERCO Truck Bodies and Trailers, HFR, Jozi Housing, SASOL Klippoortjie North and South, Total Energies Klippoortjie, Boksburg Correctional Services, DWVK Neighbourhood Watch, BDG Security, EMPD) Anti-Cable Theft Unit, Ekurhuleni Community Safety Department, and civic representatives.
The secretary of the forum, Lethukukhanya Khanyile, said the forum was formed to come up with collaborative ideas and plans.
“Thieves have been targeting the SS1 substation that provides power to Windmill Park, Dawn Park, Villa Liza and Klippoortjie and this is affecting businesses, council facilities and households.
“The members will meet on Thursday each week. Our aim is to use our resources and ideas to fight criminals who are terrorising the communities.
“We have already donated handcuffs, torches, tazers, reflector vests and pepper sprays to the local CPF and to BDG Security, the company that has been employed by the metro to combat cable theft,” Khanyile explained.
“It is our experience that these cable thieves are heavily armed. Members of BDG have encountered this, which is why we also need to bring the Dawn Park SAPS on board.
“We are also in the process of converting structures donated by HFR into guard houses for the CPF and security personnel and these will be erected in key locations.”
In addition to this, the forum has seen to the cutting of grass in areas where power cables run to ensure thieves have nowhere to hide.
Cable-theft awareness drives are also underway in a bid to involve more role players.
Khanyile added that they will also come up with innovative ways to educate communities about the affected areas about the importance of fighting cable-theft and related criminal activities.
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