LIMPOPO – A rise in cable theft in Midoroni village left residents without electricity for days, causing frustration and a loss of basic necessities for residents in the area.
Eskom’s customer service manager in Vhembe, Ntshavheni Nenguda has issued a stern warning urging residents to refrain from vandalising electricity cables in the villages.
At Midoroni village, residents were frustrated after a resurgence in cable theft in the area which started in November, and left them without electricity as they entered the new year.
Eskom’s warning was issued after Tshikwarani and Muduluni villages in Kutama were also plunged into darkness following an incident where cables had been stolen from residents’ homes.
“Eskom has been experiencing a rapid increase in cable theft. We spend large amounts to carry the costs of cables stolen or damaged by thieves,” he said.
He added that cable theft hurts the economy, as the supply of essential services such as water, electricity and telecommunication networks become unnecessarily disrupted.
Although Eskom had embarked on an intensive drive to educate users about the dangers of cable theft, criminals were not deterred at all, he added.
Nenguda said the estimated loss incurred from November is R3 million, however they are still waiting for the insurance to confirm the exact amount in loss. He appealed to residents in the various communities to report damage or theft of electricity cables to the police.
According to a Muduluni resident, Norman Maila, cable theft is without a doubt one of the reasons for the poor service delivery in the area.
“Cable thieves appear to target the long cables from the houses to the poles. Now, many people guard electrical installations at night,” he said.
Some of the residents explained that not only do thieves steal cables, but food from their mouths.
“Every time we are without electricity, we suffer losses. Our food in the refrigerators go off, which we cannot afford. We as a community plead with the thieves to stop with what they are doing,” some residents said.
Limpopo police spokesperson, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed that these areas are continuously being targeted by cable thieves. He urged the community to work with them in the fight against cable theft.
