Copper cable thieves caught in action
“The City has faith that the SAPS and other law enforcement agencies will ensure the perpetrators faces the full might of the law. It is time to send a clear message that crime has no place within our City,” Lucky Sindane, director of strategic stakeholder management at GFIS.
Two suspects were arrested in the early hours of February 6 for possession of copper cables stolen from one of City Power’s tunnels in the Johannesburg inner-city.
It has been reported that two JPMD officers were patrolling the area when they spotted suspected activity and an open tunnel on the corners of Pritchard and Joubert streets in the CBD. The officers then contacted the City’s group forensic and investigation service (GFIS) department to assist with the operation.
Upon investigation, the team found a large number of copper cables which were already cut and ready to be transported. The team also established that the copper cables belong to Telkom and not City Power.
Lucky Sindane, director of strategic stakeholder management at GFIS, said cable theft and vandalism cost the City over R20-million in a financial year. “This is worrying because that is money that could be used to stabilise the network and improve our services to the people of the City of Johannesburg.
“The expansive footprint of the utility’s network makes it very difficult to safeguard all the installations, and the City relies on the co-operation of the communities we serve to report incidents of theft and vandalism of the electricity infrastructure so that perpetrators can be brought to book.
“The criminals who steal our copper cables sabotage our economy and our City, leaving businesses and homes in the dark, costing ratepayers a fortune and robbing resources from service delivery. It is estimated that 45 per cent of the power outages in the City are caused by cable theft.
“The City has faith that the SAPS and other law enforcement agencies will ensure the perpetrators face the full might of the law. It is time to send a clear message that crime has no place within our City.
“In another effort to combat cable theft, City Power has also initiated a process of replacing copper conductor cables with aluminium conductor cables. Criminals target copper cables by digging it up to sell to scrap metal dealers, but aluminium has little to no street value.
“We would like to encourage the community to be vigilant and always report any suspicious activity or construction vehicles working around City Power infrastructure to the police, neighbourhood security or City Power Control Room on 011 490 7900/11 or toll-free number 0800 003251.
“Communities can also report suspicious activity to the City’s anti-fraud and corruption hotline (0800 002 587) or send an email to whistle@joburg.org.za or visit the GFIS offices situated at 48 Ameshoff Street, Braamfontein,” he said.
