City Power has deployed resources to monitor and remedy incidents of cable theft at the greenbelt area in Wilgeheuwel and Struben’s Valley.
The entity appealed to customers to report all cable theft incidents. An unconfirmed report of a thief caught in the act by security guards surfaced on 19 April.
Neither City Power nor Honeydew Police could immediately confirm this report.
My Neighbour Resident’s Association (MNRA) director, Elaine Sutherland, said an alleged thief was caught trying to steal an electric cable on the corner of Hendrik Potgieter and Cascades roads.
“City Power appeals to customers and members of the public to report cable theft,” said the entity’s spokesperson Yumna Sheik.
She said the entity employs several interventions to ensure cable theft is prevented.
“We have a response vehicle which patrols high-risk areas based on theft and vandalism statistics,” she explained.
The entity is currently installing pole to ground sleeves and aerial conductor cables (ABC) across the City to prevent cables being cut by cable thieves.
This ABC cable is made of aluminium and is of no value to cable thieves.
“An ongoing community education and awareness campaign focuses on how residents can assist us to prevent and stop cable theft through reporting of suspicious activities on our network happening in their areas,” she said.
Residents can report suspicious construction vehicles working on the electrical network whether marked or unmarked and report them to the control room on these numbers 011 490 7911, 011490 7900, 011 490 7553 or 011 490 7504, 24 hours a day.
“The more residents report cable theft incidents, the more City Power becomes aware of escalating trends in communities, consequently, we will be able to dispatch resources to areas where they are highly needed,” she further explained.
She mentioned that they also engage private security service providers in hot-spot areas to focus also on the impact of cable theft and vandalism on the electrical infrastructure.
“City Power has started a process of applying concrete on surfaces where cables have been laid,” she concluded.
Details: City Power, 0800 003 251.
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