An increase in theft of parts of the electricity boxes in Bakerton is a cause of concern to the area’s ward councillor.
Ramesh Sheodin, Ekurhuleni councillor for ward 72, said there were exposed boxes on almost every street corner of Bakerton, even close to schools. Mostly the doors were stolen and sometimes side panels were stolen on almost a daily basis, causing live cables to be exposed.
Sheodin said he continuously reported these thefts to Ekurhuleni. The problem was that metal thieves come back, stealing the steel as soon as the doors or panels were replaced.
During the Addie’s drive through this suburb we spotted that not only electrical boxes were stripped, as there were also a few Telkom boxes without doors and side panels.
Lebogang Ramashala, spokesman of Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality, said the metro needed the help of its residents to get rid of these criminals, as stealing of steel covers was an on-going problem throughout the metro. The municipality did appoint service providers to assist with the prevention of theft and subsequently had arrested a number of these criminals.
“There are preventative measures in place but these are not practical to cover the entire Ekurhuleni area, and therefore the assistance of the community is crucial,” she said.
She encouraged residents to report theft by calling 086 011 1108.
