Cable stolen for the third time in Harveston

Criminals seem to be a step ahead each time City Power tries to resolve power outages caused by cable theft in the Roodepoort area.

Cable was stolen on Paul Kruger Road in Harveston after being replaced for the third time in the early hours of February 23.

City Power (CP) workers opted to backfeed power to further locations inside Block 11 including areas such as Radiokop, Honeydew Ridge and Wilgeheuwel due to the continued cable theft from the Christiaan de Wet Substation to the Wilgehewel Switching Station.

According to resident Zahin Anandlal, the first cable was stolen on January 8 and was attended to by CP contractors who installed a new one. A week later the cable was stolen again, after being replaced on January 23.

“Since CP realised what was going on and began to turn on power gradually so that there is no overload, things have gotten better. Currently, this has resulted in power tripping practically every time the lights are restored after load-shedding,” Anandlal says.

CP hired Fidelity Security Services to assist with patrolling in the evenings since the cable theft occurs during load-shedding. According to Isaac Mangena, spokesperson for CP, they are concerned about the rise in vandalism and cable theft in and around Roodepoort.

“We want to express our regret to our esteemed clients in Roodepoort and throughout the city for the hardships this crime has caused them to endure in their daily lives. While this problem may seem more rampant in Roodepoort, this challenge is not unique to City Power. It is also affecting Eskom, Telkom, Transnet, and other municipalities,” says Mangena.

According to Farran Baker, who is the owner of the property where the cable was stolen, the thieves make use of the stable yard front opposite where the cable is buried as a hideout.

“This is the third instance,” he mentions, saying the cables are left in his stable yard, before cutting his fence to avoid being caught.

“I believe the criminals are aware of my alarm system as they do not set off the beams around my stables,” he concludes.

CP told the Roodepoort Northside that the entity is unable to manage the high incidents of vandalism and theft.

Mangena concluded, “Residents are encouraged to play their part by reporting any suspicious activity to ward off potential crime.”