Cable theft rampant in Laudium

Laudium residents are frustrated with the frequent cable theft which leads to long lasting blackouts.

According to councillor Shakeel Bhaktawer, load-shedding has been worsening the problem.

“We have had many instances when people’s power doesn’t come back on after load-shedding.

“Thieves steal the cables during load-shedding hours and people are then left without power when the lights are supposed to come back on,” he said.

Bhaktawer added that it can take metro workers up to 48 hours to repair and replace the cables before the power can be restored.

“Everyone is doing their best, but people are left without power for two days which is just not acceptable,” Bhaktawer said.

Cable theft also causes industrial damage, according to Bhaktawer.

“Thieves dig in the ground to find these cables and they often strike and damage water pipes which just adds to residents’ worries,” he said.

Resident Abdul Kader Ahmed Mahomed said the constant power outages have been disrupting his life.

“Our cables have been stolen about three times in the last year.

“Earlier in the week they stole the cable close to my neighbour’s house and we were without power on Himalaya Street for about 20 hours.”

Mahomed said the longest period they went without power was for nine days.

“It was awful.

“We had to throw out all the food in our fridge which is a massive waste of money.

“We also had no hot water and couldn’t bathe or anything,” said Mahomed.

Bhaktawer said thieves have become bolder and are now targeting and stealing power meters and boxes from residents.

“This is very worrying and is something that seems to just get worse.

“Residents are already frustrated with the situation as it is,” said Bhaktawer.

Cable theft is a widespread problem and affects many parts of Centurion.

Spokesperson for the Lyttelton police station, Captain Dave Miller said that residents need to be more aware of their surroundings and look out for warning signs.

“The most commonly used modus operandi for cable theft is where the suspect digs trenches to expose the underground cables and then cut and remove them,” Miller said.

“Overline cabling is usually cut and then a vehicle is used to pull the cables down.” Miller said this was more common in rural and isolated areas.

“The metro police can be contacted to verify if a person or a group of people are authorised to be digging in the area.

“They will have a more direct line of enquiry with the city council.

“The metro police also have a dedicated cable theft unit that deals with this issue,” he said.

Miller encouraged residents to form a local CPF or become a member to keep their communities safe.

ALSO READ: Combined effort by police and CPF lead to successful cable theft arrest

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