New year, same old cable theft problem for the north
A security cluster is being put together to solve all issues related to crime, cable theft, by-law contravention and general lawlessness.
The interim ward 2 councillor in Pretoria North, Dana Wannenburg has revealed his plans to tackle the continuous cable theft, crime, by-law contravention and lawlessness in the area by setting up a security cluster committee.
Wannenburg said the cluster he wished to engage and work with included Pretoria North police, Tshwane metro police (TMPD), the cable theft and by-law enforcement units, CPF, community members and private security companies.
“The last big security cluster we had in this ward was about four years ago, and I am arranging to have a meeting with all the stakeholders next week so we can start working on solving issues in the ward,” he said.
Wannenburg said if an agreement can be reached, ward 2 and 98 will see a decrease in crime.
He said they can control the crime levels in the area with all law enforcement and private security bodies working together, sharing ideas and targeting crime hotspots.
Wannenburg said after the last cable theft on Tuesday morning, he saw the need for bringing all stakeholders to work together, as this issue costs the city a lot of money, and leads to extended outages for the residents.
On Tuesday, large parts of Pretoria North were plunged into darkness in the early hours following a suspected electricity trip and cable theft incident.
“We suspect this was caused by a trip and cable theft incidents after 02:00 in Stasie, Eeufees, Jack Hindon and surrounding areas,” Wannenburg said.
He said the thieves had caused the electricity to trip or snap and then cut the cables.
“On Tuesday, thieves tripped the electricity and waited for the lines to be without power, then stole the cables.”
Wannenburg said the electricity switching teams worked the whole day to find the problem, repair and switch back the power.
North sector 1 CPF chairperson Jan White said cable theft is still a huge problem.
“The thieves used to cut cables when it was load-shedding, but now even without load-shedding, they steal the cables.”
White said an urgent solution is needed to tackle this issue for good.
Wannenburg urged residents to report cable theft to the TMPD on 012 358 7095/7096, or tmpdcomplaints@tshwane.gov.za, grandit@tshwane.gov.za, rexm@tshwane.gov.za and the Cable Theft Unit specifically on 012 358 1550.
Residents are reminded they can also call the Crime Stop number 08600 10111 or report cable theft to their nearest police station.
If you report cable theft, remember to give the following information:
– Date of reporting
– Your name, address and contact information (email address)
– Municipal account number
– Nature of the Complaint: CABLE THEFT
Provide a detailed description of the issue, including the location, duration, and any relevant observations.
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