Six City Power contract workers arrested for copper theft

The City Power Security Risk Management has arrested six people employed by a contractor for possession of suspected stolen copper cables.

The suspects were handcuffed at the Observatory Substation in Johannesburg on Tuesday for possession of suspected stolen copper cables.

Arrests

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the arrests followed a routine site inspection by Operations Management to verify the removal of all burnt cables damaged in the underground tunnel fire incident on Thursday evening, 6 February 2025.

“This forms part of our ongoing fight against cable theft and vandalism, plaguing the Inner City and other areas across Johannesburg.

“During the inspection, we discovered four individuals from a contracted company cutting and stripping various sizes of copper cable — some burnt and others intact. A search of the bus used to transport those workers revealed two individuals with copper cables hidden in their bags and shoes, while additional cables were found under the bus,” Mangena said.

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Stolen cables

Mangena said the suspects are aged between 20 and 43.

“The total weight of the confiscated copper cables amounts to 129.5 kg, which has been handed over to City Power. An additional 11.6 kg of copper cable found under the bus was booked without a suspect and also transported to our storage yard.

“As previously stated, the net is indeed closing in on those who are involved in the scourge of theft and vandalism, particularly those who are employed or contracted to City Power. In light of recent incidents of theft and vandalism that leave our customers without electricity supply for an extended period, we have intensified our commitment to rooting out the problem,” Mangena said,

Mangena added that cable theft threatens Johannesburg’s electricity infrastructure and disrupts essential services.

“We continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure that offenders are held accountable,” Mangena said.

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