Police foil early-morning cable theft in Wesselton

Police in Wesselton arrested two men caught in the act of stealing medium-voltage cable during the early hours of the morning.

October 15, 2025

Wayne van der Walt Less than a minute

Collage showing tools, a suspect’s dirty hands, and a muddy boot from the Wesselton cable theft arrest. — Police recovered tools and arrested two suspects at the scene of an attempted MV cable theft in Wesselton.

Yesterday morning, during the early hours, police officers in Wesselton apprehended two male suspects who were caught in the act of stealing medium-voltage (MV) ring feeder cable.

Fortunately, no power outages occurred, as the stolen cable formed part of a standby ring feed.

Tools allegedly used by the suspects during an attempted cable theft in Wesselton. — Tools believed to have been used by the suspects during the attempted theft of a medium-voltage cable. Photo: Supplied/Msukaligwa Municipality

However, officials warned that the attempted theft compromised the network and could have affected supply reliability if a fault had developed on the main line.

Police responded swiftly, recovered the stolen cable, and arrested both suspects.

Section of ground in Wesselton where suspects allegedly dug up medium-voltage cable during theft attempt. — The spot where suspects allegedly dug up a section of underground medium-voltage cable in Wesselton. Photo: Supplied/Msukaligwa Municipality

They remain in custody and face charges relating to cable theft and damage to essential infrastructure.

At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!

October 15, 2025

Wayne van der Walt Less than a minute

Wayne van der Walt

Wayne van der Walt, with around 15 years in the media industry, is editor of Highvelder Newspaper. His accolades include Frewin Awards for Newspaper of the Year and Front Page of the Year, and FCJ Photographer of the Year, among other honours.