The electrical cable running from Blancheville substation towards Jackaroo substation is an attraction for many culprits who is in for a quick sent or two.
However the watchful eye and quick reaction from the community policing forum in Blanchville saw three alleged thieves in jail for trying to steal the cable.
Ward councillor, Mr Roy Cronje conveys his appreciation towards Blancheville CPF, the law enforcement unit and SAPS for keeping the electrical cable in Branchville safe.
On August 23 the CPF received information that the cable is being tampered with. CPF members responded and caught one suspect red-handed.
Unfortunately his cohorts ran away. Since then two other suspects were also arrested when they tried to steal the electrical cable on August 24.
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Thieves use innovative ideas when stealing cables. They make a fire underneath the cable and when it trips at the substation, they quickly dig it up, burn the plastic sheathing and then resell the copper inside of it.
Nationally, the government estimates that cable theft costs the country billions of rands a year, mostly affecting Eskom, Transnet and Telkom.
The municipality this week described cable theft as a massive problem that causes havoc to the electricity supply of residents and businesses.
“Thank you to everyone involved for your quick response. By working together with the community we can prevent cable theft before it happens,” Mr Roy Cronje, ward councillor said.
Alleged thieves were arrested after digging up the electrical cable running between Blancheville and Jackaroo Park.
If you want to get involved in the CPF in sector two, you can contact Tiaan Malan: 063 472 1037, Brenda Malan: 064 034 5475 or Sakkie Coertzen: 072 160 4812.
