Residents fume over constant cable theft attempts at South Road bridge
“We have heightened security in the area including for the operations we have been conducting around the area including Princess Informal Settlement."
Residents in Ward 71 have voiced their frustrations after cable thieves struck for the second time in the month of November resulting in prolonged outages.
On Friday morning, November 25, criminals made yet another attempt on the cable situated in the South Road bridge but their mission was interrupted leaving the cable exposed.
According to Roodepoort Neighbourhood Watch’s (WSRNW) public relations officer Frik van Zyl the cable was cut but the thieves did not get away with it.
City Power Spokesperson Isaac Mangena confirmed that they are aware that power in Witpoortjie and surrounding area has not returned after load-shedding and a team was dispatched to investigate the cause of the outage.
“All I can say it that when the bridge was completed, I had asked that the cable be buried, it is something that was done before and it prevented this kind of issue and theft and at least that eliminated South Road as a target, but obviously this was not done,” said Ward 71 Councillor Rene Benjamin.
Mangena said that the power utility has a serious problem of vandalism and theft in the Roodepoort CBD area.
“We have heightened security in the area including for the operations we have been conducting around the area including Princess Informal Settlement.
“We continue to appeal to the community to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities around our electricity network.
“Theft and vandalism not only cost us millions of rands in revenue, it also causes undesired inconvenience to the customers,” said Mangena.
Members of the community took to social media and expressed their frustrations over the recurring problem of cable theft on South Road Bridge.
• Jakes Johann Pretorius
“Can’t these guys just shock to death already.”
• Jolene Reid
“Daardie gat het vir twee weke oop gestaan sonder dat daar werk aan gemaak was om die toe te maak. Ek meen dis mos n invitation vir die diewe om terug te kom om te kom klaar maak wat hulle begin het. Nou sit ons mense weer met die gebakte pere en vir hoe lank gaan ons sonder krag sit.”
• Michelle Oosthuizen
“Unbelievable, 10 days after the thugs were chased away.”
