City of Tshwane MMC for Utilities Frans Boshielo said criminals cost the city between R8 million and R10 million annually in cable theft and infrastructure vandalism.
Theft and infrastructure vandalism are costing the City of Tshwane millions of rand each month, city officials say.
Ward 1 councillor Leon Kruyshaar reported that 20 water meters and 10 power meters were stolen within 24 hours over the weekend in Pretoria West.
He added that two 11kV cables were also stolen along Van der Hoff Road, marking the 10th theft in that area this year.
“Tshwane has no plan there and where is the cable theft unit? They are conspicuous by their absence,” Kruyshaar said.
“The community is being held hostage by thieves in Ward 1 in Roseville, Pretoria Gardens, Daspoort, Claremont, Suiderberg, Hermanstad, Mountain View and Eloffsdal.”
Kruyshaar highlighted security weaknesses at mini-substations and substations, which he said are often unlocked using keys purchased from a locksmith for R35 opposite the Hercules police station.
“You can walk in and buy a key and then figure it out and know that one key opens 80% of our locks. They unlock the cupboards, trip the power and loot,” he said.
He added that many mini-substations are open due to vandalism and theft.
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Criminals cost the city between R8 and R10 million annually
City of Tshwane MMC for Utilities Frans Boshielo said criminals cost the city between R8 million and R10 million annually in cable theft and infrastructure vandalism.
“The city records about 2 000 unplanned power outages across the seven regions each month. The central region, Region 3, experienced the highest number of outages, followed by Region 4 and Region 1, which have disrupted thousands of households and businesses,” Boshielo said.
He said theft and vandalism of electrical infrastructure were the main causes of outages.
“The problem has now extended to the theft of electrical protection equipment, including tripping batteries, network control cables and earthing conductors.”
Boshielo urged residents to report any suspicious activity.
“The city has intensified efforts and implemented increased patrols in high-risk areas and has strengthened collaborations with law enforcement. The city is looking at theft deterrent technologies such as smart cables and a real-time monitoring system.”
Ward 59 councillor Shaun Wilkinson said Groenkloof Village was once again hit by cable theft over the weekend, leaving residents without power.
“Over the past decade, there have been more than 100 cable theft incidents in this suburb. That is almost one every month,” he said.
“So why is the municipality still focused only on repairs instead of prevention?”
Wilkinson added, noting that nothing has changed despite a high-level meeting attended by security specialists and stakeholders recently.
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