Mini-subs targeted in town

In the last week, at least ten mini substations were vandalised in town, leaving areas without electricity until the Greater Tzaneen Municipality’s (GTM) electrical team is able to repair the damage done by these alleged vandals or thieves. It is suspected that a syndicate or more than one syndicate is behind these crimes. “This has left 500 households without power for at least 24 hours. This is a serious concern for the GTM and a great inconvenience to our customers and residents at large.

“It takes a minimum of 24 hours to replace or repair a mini-sub after it has been vandalised,” Vutivi Makhubele, media liaison for the GTM stated. “This vandalism and theft impact businesses and leave residents without power for extended hours. This situation is exacerbated by load-shedding, which is mandatory,” Makhubele explains. “Transformers are cut out and stolen from the mini-subs during load-shedding. In the past seven days, mini-substations in Aqua Avenue, Tony Laws, Pusela, Maritz, Protea, Pieter Joubert, Jopie Botha, Van den Steen, and Hospital streets were vandalised,” she said.

Uwe Kroh, chairperson of the Tzaneen Community Policing Forum (CPF) says that mini-substations’ vandalism is a massive problem. “Patrols do not help. The perpetrators simply hide when the vehicles approach the area,” says Kroh. “We are calling on community members to be vigilant and also to be aware that municipal workers doing repairs will always be in a GTM uniform and never in civvies,” says Kroh. He requests that community members report suspicious activities, such as people tampering with streetlights and mini substations, to the police and community safety groups.

Also read: Power boxes and streetlights targeted in Tzaneen

However, Kroh warns members of the public not to take on these criminals on their own since they could be armed and dangerous. Chrizelle Dreyer, Democratic Alliance ward councillor in Ward 15, encouraged community members to join the neighbourhood watch and to report cases of petty theft or trespassing to the police. “The police cannot identify Flora Park and Medi Park as a crime hotspot if residents do not report crimes or suspicious activity to the police,” Dreyer explains. “By reporting these crimes, the police can gather evidence and track the movement of the suspects,” she said.

Jaco Rautenbach, chairperson of the Tzaneen Neighbourhood Watch encouraged residents to join the community safety group. “While we do need additional members for patrols, we also need residents to join in order to be our eyes and ears in the community,” he said. The public can report vandalism or suspicious activities to the GTM’s 24-hour call center at 082 679 0720. Residents can also report suspicious activities to Col Baloyi at 082 729 1304 at Capt Sekoto on 082 729 1225. Alternatively, residents can contact Jaco Rautenbach, chairperson of the Tzaneen Neighbourhood Watch at 073 074 9716.