City Power blames cable theft for power outage
STRIJDOM PARK – Cable theft frustrates residents of Strijdom Park, Kya Sand and surrounds.
City Power blames thugs for the endless power outage crisis in Strijdom Park, Kya Sand and surrounds.
The entity is now pleading with the communities to be on the lookout for suspicious construction vehicles working on the City Power network, whether marked or unmarked.
“Report every car you spot to our control room, whether the cars are marked or not,” said City Power spokesperson, Yumna Sheik.
She said residents must also report trolley pushers should they suspect them of cable theft.
“The more residents report cable theft incidents, the more City Power becomes aware of escalating trends in communities where these incidents are taking place,” said Sheik.
The plea by City Power follows a number of complaints about power outages from residents in Strijdom Park and Kya Sand.
Sheik said City Power experienced cable theft incidents in the areas and are spending millions trying to replace the stolen cables every year.
She said around 3 000 incidents of cable theft take place on their network per year, costing the entity R11 million in repairing and replacing the cables.
Sheik said it is also costing the electricity industry in the country about R5 billion per year.
She said on 13 October they replaced more stolen cables in Strijdom Park.
“Four City Power cables were stolen and other cables damaged at different areas in and around Strijdom Park. These incidents resulted in power outages that affected Strijdom Park, Kya Sand and surrounding areas,” she said.
She added that City Power technicians attended to the outage and electricity supply was restored to the affected areas.
Ward 96 Councillor Matome Mafokwane said, “Business people and residents are under pressure in Kya Sand because of power outages, because they are losing businesses. We have tried to identify hotspots and security companies were deployed in the area but it never helps, electricity cables keep going missing,” he said.
The City Power control room can be contacted on 011 490 7911/ 7900/7553 or on the toll free number 080 000 3251.
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