The City of Mbombela (CoM) has applauded the swift action of a private security company that led to the apprehension of a man caught cutting cables near Riverside Mall on Sunday, July 6.

The incident, which occurred at around 13:00, saw the suspect caught before he could completely cut into the vital infrastructure.

Hi-Tech Security’s operations manager, Johan Pieterse, received information from a CSG Security guard stationed in the area about a suspect actively about a suspect actively attempting to steal cables. The CSG guard responded to the scene and, upon spotting him, the suspect attempted to flee.

The swift response of Hi-Tech’s armed response unit resulted in a pursuit and arrest, and the suspect was handed over to the Nelspruit police.

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“Unfortunately, the suspect was not charged, as he was not in possession of any cables when he was caught, but at least our action prevented cable theft,” Pieterse said.

Joseph Ngala, spokesperson of the CoM, commended Hi-Tech Security, commending them for their ongoing efforts as “crime busters”.
Ngala addressed the devastating impact of cable theft, which costs the municipality millions annually and disrupts operations for businesses and households alike.

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“As indicated in the State of the City Address, cable theft is a major challenge that negatively impacts service delivery and causes huge financial loss,” Ngala said.
He reiterated Mayor Sibongile Makushe-Mazibuko’s appeal to all members of society to collaborate with the government in eradicating this act of infrastructure sabotage, which is largely driven by greed. We are pleading with members of the public to safeguard the city’s infrastructure and report any illegal activities to the police or the municipality,” he urged.

Ngala further noted that the Riverside area, which is an important economic hub for the city, is a cable theft hotspot.

In response to media enquiry, the Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, could neither confirm nor deny that the suspect was handed over to the police, but stated that no case of cable theft or malicious damage of property was opened at the Nelspruit Police Station.