Two suspects were apprehended on the afternoon of August 9, after allegedly attempting to steal municipal power cables near the Houtkoppen substation, behind Bloubosrand.

According to Ward 115 councillor Mark van der Merwe, security personnel from Waterford View Estate, together with Night Guard reaction officers, caught the suspects in the act. “They were found in possession of stolen cables and are facing charges of tampering with municipal infrastructure and possession of stolen goods, both carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years.”

Read more: Cable thefts cause ward councillor to tighten security

No power outages were reported, as the targeted cable was a back feed line that was not live at the time.

Van der Merwe commended the swift response from the Ward 115 Houtkoppen Security Group, City Power Risk Control, and private security teams. “Cable theft used to be a very common occurrence in the ward. We used to have at least two to three incidents per week.

“Since December 2023, when several estates joined forces with City Power Risk Control, we have seen a dramatic drop. Most incidents now are unsuccessful, and the culprits are arrested.”

Van der Merwe encouraged reporting of suspicious activity via ward-based security groups, the local Community Policing Forum (CPF), or Douglasdale SAPS.

Fourways Review have reached out to Johannesburg District Corporate Communications Co-ordinator Lieutenant Colonel Mpho Tshetlhane for more information, and it will be published as it becomes available.

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