300 metres of cable stolen in Joburg M1 fire, as routes on and off highway closed

City Power clean-up operations have revealed that 300 metres of copper cable was stolen during a recent vandalism that sparked a fire in the Joburg CBD.

Parts of Johannesburg‘s inner city were filled with smoke last week after underground cables caught alight. The fire led to power outages in several parts of the city and alarmed residents.

Cable theft was alleged to be behind the fire, with City Power security also having to later exchange gunfire with informal settlers who were attempting to steal the burnt cables.

300m of cable stolen

In an update on Sunday, City Power said it was clearing rubble in the 1.2km tunnel where the fire originated. An inspection of the site found that “300 metres of copper cable had been cut and stolen, proving that tampering was the cause of the fire”.

Meanwhile, routes on and off the M1 highway at Smit Street have been closed.

“Motorists travelling east and west along Smit Street between Braamfontein and Brixton, accessing the M1 northbound at Smit Street from Braamfontein, and accessing Brixton via the Smit Street off-ramps from the M1 north and south will be affected by the road closure,” said JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla

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When authorities first opened the tunnel last week they were greeted by 200° heat, hot enough to burn your hair off and destroy your skin.

Once inside they found a cellphone and several tools, including a saw, cutter and screw drivers.

Watch a video of the chamber where the fire was believed to have started:

City Power: Call the army!

The Sunday Times reported that City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava had written to police commissioner Lieutenant-General Fannie Masemola for assistance. She also called for the military to help stop cable theft and protect its infrastructure.

In the letter, she reportedly warned that if left unchecked, the city’s power supply would be completely destabilised by vandalism.

The cost of vandalism for City Power

Mashava tallied the cost of theft and vandalism of City Power infrastructure for the current financial year so far at R160 475 253.  

ALSO READ: WATCH: Cutter, cellphone and 200 degrees heat: Inside the fire that darkened Joburg

Spokesperson Isaac Mangena has previously said illegal connections, cable theft and vandalism of transformers were among the biggest issues.

4,633km of cable stolen in three years

Earlier this year, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan revealed that 4 633km of copper cable had been stolen between the 2020 financial year to the end of October 2023.