Gunfire in the early hours of this morning, August 27, sent shockwaves through the Sonneglans area near CR Swart Drive and President Fouché Road.

Residents reported hearing multiple shots, which were relayed to the Honeydew Emergency group. Several security companies responded immediately and spotted suspects fleeing into nearby bushes, prompting a call for backup.

Soon after, more security personnel and police joined the operation. A thermal drone was deployed to track the suspects, but they managed to escape.

During the area search, responders discovered copper cables that were in the process of being stripped. The recovered material was secured and transported to the Honeydew Police Station.

City Power’s general manager of public relations and communication, Isaac Mangena, said the entity continues to suffer massive financial losses due to cable theft and electricity crimes.

“City Power loses about R25 million each month as a result of cable theft and other related crimes,” he said.

He added that the figure was only part of the picture.

“There are also substantial additional costs, particularly those linked to safeguarding our teams during repair operations, especially in high-risk areas like underground tunnels. In the previous financial year alone, City Power spent more than R300 million repairing damage caused by cable theft and vandalism to underground infrastructure. An extra R100 million was allocated to security services,” Mangena said.

The Honeydew CPF has thanked everyone who responded swiftly to the incident.