Cable theft plunges Centurion suburbs into darkness
Power to The Reeds has temporarily been restored and is expected to be back everywhere else later today.
Several Centurion suburbs have been without power since the early hours of Thursday morning, following yet another incident of cable theft along Rooihuiskraal Road at the N14 bridge.
Ward 69 councillor Cindy Billson confirmed that the electricity went off around 03:15.
She said preliminary indications point to a theft incident that left large parts of Rooihuiskraal North, Rooihuiskraal, Wierdapark Ext 2, Eldoraigne Ext 18 and The Reeds without supply.
“Metro technicians are on-site to establish how they can safely reinstall power to the areas that are still affected while the damaged cable is being replaced,” she said.
She said their main role was to isolate the faulted section of the network, reroute electricity through alternative lines where possible, and then re-energise the system once repairs or temporary solutions had been completed.
Image: Supplied
According to Billson, power has already been restored in The Reeds, but technicians are still working to reroute and safely restore supply in the remaining affected areas.
“At this stage, there is no confirmed estimated time for full restoration, but power may return in phases as switching and testing continue,” she said.
She added that the work might take the whole day, but that power was expected to return today.
Billson also raised concern about the frequency of thefts at the bridge, noting that incidents have increased sharply over the last six months.
“Cable theft has been occurring a lot more often at the bridge. With this particular theft of an 11m cable, it seems like the thieves used machinery to get the cable out because it doesn’t look like it was done by hand,” she said.
She further drew comparisons to her experiences in Eldoraigne, where she used to experience monthly outages, saying the same pattern now seems to be unfolding in Rooihuiskraal.
Ward 64 councillor, Alta de Kock said she had personally visited the site to assess the situation.
“The testing team [and] Tshwane metro police are currently on-site. I have also spoken to the municipal director of electricity, and a repair team has been dispatched.
They will need to collect the required components, including 15m of cable, to carry out the necessary repairs,” she said.
De Kock highlighted the role of vigilance in fighting cable theft.
She said the TMPD had once again asked residents and motorists to remain alert and immediately report any unusual roadside changes, such as dry grass, fresh soil or disturbed vegetation.
Image: Supplied
She also confirmed that while The Reeds had electricity again, this was only a temporary measure.
“The cable has not been replaced yet. They did put the area on ring feed just to assist residents, especially those with children writing exams,” she said.
For residents, however, the situation remains frustrating.
Rooihuiskraal resident Henry Marshall described the constant power interruptions as a major inconvenience to everyday life.
He said that aside from disrupting household routines, the outages often spoiled food, damaged appliances, and left people unable to work from home.
“Constant power cuts are not just about lights going off. It affects almost every part of our lives. You can’t plan meals properly, fridges defrost and food goes bad, children can’t concentrate on schoolwork, and people working from home are completely stranded. I’ve had to buy backup systems just to cope, but not everyone can afford that.”
He added that the frequency of these outages had made life in the area increasingly difficult.
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