The city’s electricity network is facing sustained pressure from cable theft and vandalism, with more than 100 infrastructure-related incidents recorded in January alone.
Between February 1 and 22, a further 73 incidents were reported across all service delivery centres, adding to mounting operational strain on the utility.

These worrying stats, according to City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena, are severely undermining their efforts to provide customers with a sustainable and reliable electricity supply. “The theft of copper cables, components inside mini-substations and transformers, aerial bundle conductor cables used in streetlights, and other valuable scrap metals, continue to drive the surge.”

He added that the existence of unauthorised scrap markets has made electricity infrastructure an attractive and lucrative target, and that the crimes are not random. “These incidents are largely driven by organised criminal syndicates, rather than opportunistic acts.”

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Such groups often possess detailed knowledge of the network, deliberately target critical infrastructure points, and, in many cases, return to the same areas after repairs have been completed. “Despite the January spike, a year-on-year comparison shows a 27% reduction in incidents – from 1 556 in the 2023/24 financial year to 1 138 in 2024/25. Law enforcement co-operation has intensified.”

He added that convictions have increased by 30% year on year. Mangena said these outcomes demonstrate progress. “The numerous arrests and successful convictions show that our partnership with law enforcement is producing tangible results. Co-ordinated enforcement actions are disrupting criminal activity and strengthening deterrence.”

Despite the positives, the financial toll is severe. “Funds that would otherwise be used for planned maintenance and critical upgrades are instead redirected toward emergency repairs and replacement of stolen infrastructure. Communities bear the brunt of prolonged outages while repairs are carried out.” In many cases, the same infrastructure is repeatedly targeted, compounding costs and delaying long-term improvements. The utility’s network spans more than 18 000km of underground cables, making monitoring and protection an ongoing challenge.

Andre Aiton, managing director of Beagle Watch, said the problem is far bigger than many residents realise. “It is happening all over the city and our infrastructure is being vandalised on a daily basis, making it hard to keep up with the repairs.” He added that millions are being spent to protect critical infrastructure.

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He confirmed evidence of co-ordinated, well-planned activity on the ground. “In some cases, individuals know exactly what they are doing and how to go about getting valuable components for resale.” Criminals are targeting everything from high-value items inside substations to single wires leading to streetlights.

Substations in particular require tighter oversight. Aiton said Beagle Watch has recently completed its first installation at an extremely high-risk substation that had been vandalised multiple times. The site is now monitored through AI-driven camera systems capable of detecting movement at the facility.

For now, much of the visible protection on the ground falls to the private security sector. Looking ahead, Aiton believes technology will need to play a larger role.

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