There has been a significant reduction in cable theft and vandalism in parts of the east of Pretoria.
This is according to the various ward councillors in the area.
Their comments come after reports of vandalism and theft in the area were posted on the official Tshwane X page.
Councillor Shane Maas of Ward 42 revealed that no cable theft incidents have occurred in his area for over 18 months.
He said “everything” had practically been stolen already and replaced with aluminium.
“All stolen cables have been replaced with aluminium, minimising disruptions.”
In Ward 91 Councillor Henning Viljoen reported no cable theft or vandalism incidents.
When asked about measures to address vandalism, he said private patrolling is effective in reducing cable theft and vandalism of substations in his ward.
“To prevent copper theft and vandalism, patrolling and camera installations are being implemented.”
He said vandalism results in service delivery delays, increased costs to the city and power outages.
Delmas Road and Ward 91 have previously experienced higher rates of cable theft.
However, recent efforts have yielded positive results.
“Community engagement and co-operation with law enforcement have contributed to the decline.”
Ward 59 councillor Shaun Wilkinson said there has not been an incident of copper theft in his ward for over a year now.
“We have not had a copper theft or vandalism incident for the past 12 months.”
He said one of the things that led to the reduction of cable theft was the installation of cameras that are monitored 24 hours a day by CSI.
According to CSI spokesperson Dana Bloem, they only had one incident in November of a suspect being caught trying to steal cables.
“Our advanced system proved its effectiveness when it detected a potential suspect attempting to steal the cable.”
He said the camera’s smart tracking capabilities alerted their control room, which promptly issued a warning to the suspect via the two-way audio system.
Bloem added that the suspect fled, and their tactical units arrived within minutes to secure the area.
“Although the suspect escaped, the attempted theft was thwarted, sending a strong message that this power line is heavily protected.”
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