A co-ordinated operation involving City Power, law enforcement, and community structures has led to the arrest of a suspect, allegedly linked to a series of circuit breaker thefts that left residents across parts of Johannesburg without electricity.

The arrest follows reports of repeated thefts from electricity pillar boxes in areas including Fairland, Northcliff, Albertville, Montgomery Park, Bergbron, and Sophiatown over the past two weeks.

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the utility had identified an emerging pattern of targeted theft involving circuit breakers from pillar boxes across several supply areas. Mangena said the incidents were not only costly due to the replacement of stolen equipment; they placed additional pressure on operational resources through emergency repairs, restoration work, technical deployments, and increased security measures. He said the theft of electricity infrastructure has a wider impact, disrupting supply to residents and businesses, and affecting daily activities and economic operations.

According to Mangena, internal risk management and security teams identified a vehicle believed to be linked to several incidents – a white Toyota Corolla sedan with visible damage to its front bumper. The information contributed to a joint operation involving City Power, the Florida Community Policing Forum (CPF), Florida SAPS, and Nduna Security Services.

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A suspect was arrested in Maraisburg on June 13, after allegedly being followed from Bergbron. City Power said the suspect was allegedly caught removing circuit breakers from a pillar box while impersonating a City Power official. The suspect faces charges related to the tampering of essential electricity infrastructure, possession of suspected stolen property, and impersonating a City Power official. City Power said an accomplice fled the scene and remains the subject of ongoing investigations.

During the operation, authorities recovered 15 circuit breakers, electrical tools, City Power-branded reflective jackets, and documents believed to be linked to operations.

Ward 89 councillor Zander Shawe welcomed the arrest, saying the breakthrough showed the importance of co-operation between residents, community organisations, security companies, and authorities. Shawe said the Democratic Alliance assisted in spreading awareness about the suspected vehicle and individuals linked to the thefts through community networks. He said residents, CPF members, private security companies, SAPS, and City Power officials worked together to monitor suspicious activity and provide information that assisted the investigation.

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He added that infrastructure theft was not a victimless crime, as it affects essential services, damages public assets, and increases costs for municipalities and taxpayers. However, Shawe raised concerns about City Power’s ability to fully secure its infrastructure, saying more needed to be done to protect easily accessible electricity boxes from criminals.

Mangena said they continue to strengthen security measures through increased monitoring, intelligence gathering, patrols in hotspot areas, and closer co-operation with law enforcement agencies. He urged residents to report suspicious activity involving individuals claiming to be City Power employees, particularly those working on electrical infrastructure without official identification or authorisation.

City Power said investigations remain ongoing as authorities work to identify further suspects and disrupt criminal networks targeting electricity infrastructure.

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