Greater Springs community express concerns over cable theft and power outages

Greater Springs community members gathered at Springs Mall to discuss the scourge of cable theft that continues to disrupt their daily lives. The purpose of the meeting was to find a way forward in addressing the ongoing power outages affecting several areas.

Residents from Nuffield, Selection Park, Daggafontein and Selcourt voiced their frustration and also raised concerns over the lack of community support in confronting the problem.

Private security companies, who have voluntarily patrolled high-risk areas to prevent cable theft, also attended the meeting.

These teams have been working free of charge for the past month and have arrested 16 suspects allegedly found in possession of copper, tools and weapons.

For safety reasons, the security personnel asked to remain anonymous. One guard, who gave his name only as Zaheed, said the suspects were handed over to the police.

“We cannot say for certain what happened with those cases,” he said.

He added that last month, cables were stolen from underground tunnels in the Nuffield industrial area on more than one occasion.

“We assisted the municipality by providing site security during the replacement of cables, only for them to be stolen again two weeks later.”

Zaheed claimed the City of Ekurhuleni is currently using EMPD officers for patrols because a security company has not yet been appointed.

“They told us it will take about two to three months before the tender is awarded and a new service provider is in place.”

Selection Park resident Susan Schoeman shared how repeated outages have affected her family.

“This is affecting us badly. My granddaughter once had swine flu during a power outage and it was incredibly challenging. I know of elderly people on oxygen whose health is at serious risk.”

A Springs Blue Hawk area manager encouraged residents to play an active role.

“If you have any information that could help with cable theft investigations, make sure to report it to the relevant authorities.”

A petition was signed during the meeting, which the Greater Springs community plans to hand over to the Energy Department. It outlines residents’ concerns and requests for urgent intervention.

“The frequent power outages have not only disrupted our daily lives but also pose serious challenges to essential services,” the petition reads.

The community is calling for improved security measures, infrastructure upgrades and the exploration of alternative energy solutions to improve the reliability of the power grid. They also asked the Energy Department to address issues related to overtime restrictions.

“Sometimes a fault at a substation could be a quick fix, but residents end up spending the entire night without electricity because of overtime limits. The current situation not only inconveniences residents but also hampers the growth of our community. Timely action is crucial to prevent further economic and social setbacks.”

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