Stolen cables replaced in Ward 12 in eMbalenhe
Residents have previously told Ridge Times they have been plagued by frequent cable theft, leaving households without electricity for extended periods.
The Govan Mbeki Municipality has sent a contractor to replace a stolen cable and fix fallen poles that were damaged by a brewery truck.
This follows an incident where the residents of Ward 12 in the Chris Hani section in eMbalenhle apprehended a young man on July 13 for stealing electricity cables.
Residents have previously told Ridge Times they have been plagued by frequent cable theft, leaving households without electricity for extended periods.
According to community members, they were able to identify the suspect and several of his alleged accomplices using surveillance footage obtained from a local business.
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When residents confronted the group, the other suspects reportedly fled. The apprehended suspect allegedly led residents to a shack where stolen cables were stored before being sold to scrap metal businesses.
Some of the suspected stolen cables were recovered from the shack. Community members tied the suspect with some of the recovered cables before taking him to the municipal technical yard, where they called on the municipality to lay charges against him.
Govan Mbeki Municipality law enforcement officers later arrived at the scene and escorted the suspect to the eMbalenhle Police Station, where he was handed over to the SAPS.
Residents said their challenges had been worsened by an incident three weeks earlier in which a brewery truck allegedly damaged the area’s electrical infrastructure.
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According to residents, the truck caught high-voltage power lines supplying electricity to households, damaging electricity poles and leaving the area without power.
Sonto Nzima, one of the affected residents, said they were relieved that the municipality had started replacing the stolen electricity cables.
“It was very difficult for me because I had to make sure my grandchildren had food, especially now that schools have reopened.
“I have to wake up early every morning and prepare water for them to bathe. I was fortunate that our household cable was stolen during the school holidays, but I still struggled to find firewood to cook meals for them on an open fire,” said Nzima.
