Stolen cables worth R180 000 retrieved at Pretoria plot

The Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) recovered cables from a scrapyard in the north of Pretoria worth R180 000.

In a statement, the TMPD said the cables were found in Bon Accord at a scrapyard at a plot earlier this week by the TMPD, where two men were apprehended for cable theft.

“Cables belonging to different companies, including the City of Tshwane cables were found,” the statement read.

The metro continued to clamp down on cable theft.

Earlier this month, Tshwane metro police arrested seven people for suspected cable theft in Sinoville.

“Two men were claiming to be Tshwane metro sub-contractors and had fake appointment cards. They switched off the electricity at a plot in Sinoville and demanded R10 000 from the owner.

“TMPD cable theft unit members responded to the complaint and managed to apprehend the culprits,” the metro police said.

The two were charged with fraud and tampering with infrastructure.

In April last year, a senior Tshwane official was among the people arrested for the possession of alleged stolen property valued at thousands of rands in Pretoria North.

Metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said cable theft unit officers arrested a man when he failed to produce legal documents for the cables found at his premises.

“The man, who runs tenders for the Tshwane metro, was arrested for the possession of stolen property valued at R103 810,” Mahamba said.

“TMPD officers later discovered that he was also in the possession of 11 step-ladders and 32 broken step-ladders used only by the City of Tshwane, for which he could not account.”

He said the directors who worked with the electricity cables were not aware that the cables were missing.

“Upon further investigation, the premises’ owner implicated three metro officials from Hammanskraal who delivered the cables to him,” Mahamba said.

One of those implicated, a superintendent, allegedly admitted to selling the cables for R30 000 per drum and instructing two drivers to deliver them to the premises’ owner.

“He did, however, not receive the money as the cables were confiscated,” Mahamba said.