City Power responds to Klipspruit electricity woes
City Power says cable theft is conservatively estimated to cost the South African economy about R5 billion a year directly and indirectly.
City Power has recently attended to a power outage in Klipspruit West, caused by cable theft.
Around 45% of power outages in the utilities operating areas are caused by cable theft, representing a considerable challenge to City Power’s service delivery efforts.
Yumna Sheik, Spokesperson for City Power, said the Utility was combating cable thieves 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.
“In addition, 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, Johannesburg Metro Police (JMPD), Eskom, and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, to investigate scrap metal dealers in known hotspots to turn off illegal connections.
City Power’s own response vehicles patrol high-risk areas for theft and vandalism.
Because of the large areas, it is difficult to prevent every incident without assistance from affected communities.
“Residents should be on the lookout for suspicious construction vehicles working on our electrical network, whether marked or unmarked,” said Sheik.
“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.”
Trolley-pushers, vehicles, or other suspicious activities should be reported to City Power’s control room, which operates 24 hours a day, on 011 490 7911/7900/7553, or on the toll-free number 0800 003 251.
As a phenomenon, cable theft is not unique to South Africa.
Countries such as Canada and Switzerland have also experienced a spike in cable theft, fuelled by increasing demand from China for copper.
Cable theft is conservatively estimated to cost the South African economy about R5 billion a year directly and indirectly.
Sheik says besides the cost of replacing the infrastructure and damaged equipment, cable theft contributes to increased electricity tariffs and prices for ordinary South Africans.
The industry has lamented the scourge of cable theft and has collectively lobbied government to classify cable theft as an act of economic sabotage due to the debilitating impact of cable theft on the economy.
Earlier this year, government tabled a Criminal Matters Amendment Bill 2015 which seek to impose more stringent sentences to suspects convicted of cable theft.
