Cable thieves burn wires in greenbelt
Black smoke filled the air in Struben's Valley on Saturday morning when workers from a local construction company set fire to stolen electrical cables in the greenbelt off Krugerrand Road.
A thick plume of stinking black smoke hung over Strubens Valley on Saturday morning after a huge pile of electrical cable was set alight on the side of the road in the greenbelt next to Krugerrand Road, across from the Riverview shopping centre.
Upon the Northsider’s arrival, about five private security vehicles were already at the scene as flames licked at the overhead electricity cables that run through the greenbelt. The fire was extremely hot and at its base, flames burned unnatural hues of green and blue.
From information gathered at the scene, the fire was started by workers from a local construction company who are busy working on a new shop that will soon be opening at the shopping centre.
The Northsider managed to speak to a site supervisor, who seemed oblivious to what was happening across the road.
After some investigation, the site supervisor found out that some of his workers who were stripping wires from the building for new wiring to be installed, had – without his knowledge or consent – taken the electrical wires across the road and into the greenbelt in order to strip the insulation off, and sell the copper wire inside.
Some workers, sent by the site supervisor, arrived at the fire a short while later and tried in vain to douse the fire. They then set about dragging the heap of burning cable under the bridge and into the stream.
Out of nowhere, passers-by descended on the greenbelt, some picking through the smoldering ashes and others digging in the stream in an effort to get to the copper cable that remained. They disappeared as fast as they appeared, carrying off plastic bags filled with copper cable.
The Northsider managed to get hold a of a senior representative of the company, who made it clear that this was in no way condoned by the company, and that the identified perpetrators would be harshly dealt with.
Calls were made by BCI Security to the JMPD as the entity in charge of dealing with illegal dumping and bylaw enforcement. According to BCI Security operations manager, Lionel Gafney, all the calls made by the company’s control room to JMPD were dropped.
A JMPD officer was eventually called and he promised to send a vehicle, but after nearly two hours, no-one had yet arrived.
The Northsider has sent questions regarding this incident to JMPD spokesperson Xolani Filha.
Watch this space for more information as this story develops.
