THE start of the winter season has seen an upsurge in cable theft cases in parts of Kempton Park.
Residents of the Pomona, Brentwood Park and Bredell areas were left without power after several cases of copper cable theft were reported, all in one week.
According to DA ward councillor Pieter Henning, five incidents of cable theft occurred between Sunday (May 15) or Monday night (May 16) last week, and Sunday night (May 22), including a cable robbery at the Pomona Pump Station.
According to Capt Jethro Mtshali, spokesperson for the Kempton police, a case of business robbery is now being investigated after a security officer was handcuffed and held at gunpoint during a copper cable theft, at the Pomona Pump Station last week.
Also read:
• Bulbs explode after cable theft
• ‘Explosions’: Technicians assess damage caused
• Inside job at substation foiled by police
The incident happened on Wednesday night (May 18), when four people allegedly held up the security guard at gunpoint while they stole all the copper cables at the pump station.
On the same night, more cables were allegedly stolen on Seventh Avenue in Bredell, just outside plot 58.
Earlier in the same week, two other incidents of cable theft occurred, also on 7th Avenue on Monday night, outside plots 56 and 57.
As a result, residents were left without electricity and had it restored only the next day.
“Another issue with this is that there are many businesses located on Seventh Avenue and Pomona Road which are severely affected by the continuous cable thefts in the same places,” Henning commented.
The latest instance occurred this past Sunday night (May 22), on Fourth Road in Brentwood Park, next to Pomona Extension 2.
According to Henning, residents living along the street said this was the third or fourth time cables were stolen on their street in the same week. Their electricity was still off when the EXPRESS contacted Henning on Monday morning.
At the moment police are still investigating and no arrests have been made.
“We appeal to anyone with information to contact us on 08600-10111, or to send an SMS to 32211. Alternatively, contact Det W/O TP Gededzha on 011-393-8600,” Mtshali concluded.
