Residents of Honeydew, Radiokop and Little Falls have experienced power outages from the end of March with no indication of the cause. Johannesburg City Power has investigated and has labelled the cause as cable theft.
Around 45 per cent of power outages in the utility’s operating areas are caused by cable theft, which represents a considerable challenge to City Power’s service delivery efforts.
We are aware of the outages in Wilgeheuwel, Honeydew and Radiokop. We will provide updates of ETR on our TL once they are available. ^BM
— @CityPowerJhb (@CityPowerJhb) March 31, 2016
Yumna Sheik, spokesperson for City Power, said the utility was combating cable theft in several ways. “We are installing pole to ground sleeves and aerial bundled conductors across Johannesburg to deter thieves from cutting cables and bare overhead conductors. Aerial bundled conductors are made of aluminium and is of no value to cable thieves. We are also conducting educational awareness campaigns in communities most affected by cable theft, and are engaging with private security firms and the police to help them understand the impact of theft and vandalism on electrical infrastructure,” said Sheik.
City Power conducts joint operations with the South African Police Services (SAPS), Johannesburg Metro Police (JMPD), Eskom, and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, to investigate scrap metal dealers in known hotspots and to turn off illegal connections.
City Power’s own response vehicles patrol high-risk areas for theft and vandalism. However, it is difficult to prevent every incident in affected communities. “We encourage residents to report incidents of cable theft or suspected criminal activity, as this enables us to track trends and can dispatch resources to where they are needed most,”Sheik added.
Cable theft is conservatively estimated to cost the South African economy about R5 billion a year, which contributes to increased electricity tariffs.
Ward 97 Councillor Jaco Engelbrecht , said he was a ware of the problem and plans to set up a meeting with City Power officials to discuss the problem further as he feels the security groups City Power has employed to manage the situation, are not effective. Additionally, he wishes City Power were more active on social media platforms, such as twitter, to keep the community updated.
Details: Jaco Engelbrecht, 082 318 6514; City Power, 011 490 7911/7900/7553.
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