A Malanshof resident’s electrical appliances were damaged after thieves stole power cables.
Randburg resident Glen Smith noticed a suspicious team of workers outside the substation on Annie Road. “The workers wore yellow vests and had grass trimmers,” he said. “What puzzled me is that the workers arrived on foot and the substation is never locked so they just opened up the gates and went into the substation.”
He added that the power tripped shortly thereafter and he noticed something was wrong when his cellphone charger exploded out of the power socket. “The voltage meter measured a high of 460 watts and I lost my gate motor, fridge and television set.”
He believes the transformer was damaged after the thieves stole cable from inside the substation. City Power brought in a stand-by generator until a permanent connection is installed by the entity.
City Power spokesperson Sol Masolo said, “Cable theft and vandalism is a recurring problem in the area. Our short-term aim is to replace the cables that have been stolen. We are currently working on a strategy to make the substations safer and will revert to the public with information as soon as our engineers come up with a plan.”
He concluded that residents could contact the City Power Control room should they see any suspicious activities near substations.
Details: City Power Control Room 0800 003 251.
