It is said that four guards who were on duty on the day were ambushed by two males who were carrying firearms.

Police Spokesperson Captain Fikile Funda said, “On arrival, the suspects started assaulting the guards. They ordered the guards to take off their clothes while assaulting them.”

“It is alleged that the men also ordered the guards to carry out sexual acts and when the guards refused, they were assaulted even further.” The armed men then ordered the guards to dig up the cable and cut it.

The men then loaded the cable into the vehicle and fled.

Funda states that investigations in the matter are ongoing.

Meanwhile, two on-duty security guards were killed by multiple attackers, believed to be cable thieves, at the same electricity substation in Vereeniging.

The two were apparently shot dead by the copper cable thieves days after the guards from the same security company, Wenzile Phaphama, were brutally assaulted by cable thieves at the same facility.

It is said that security officers, Mqhadi Mokoena, Elias Motaung and another guard found themselves under attack after multiple gunmen opened fire on their patrol vehicle outside the substation.

Mokoena and Motaung succumbed to their injuries at the scene, while one colleague survived the shooting after managing to flee.

The assailants fled with one of the firearms taken from the deceased officers at the scene.

The ELM said that it’s Executive Mayor, Gift Moerane visited the families to convey his condolences to the families of the deceased on behalf of the municipality.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this senseless attack which claimed the lives of two of our security officers. We send our heartfelt condolences to the Mokoena and Motaung families. We condemn in the strongest terms the continued attack, theft and sabotage of municipal infrastructure. This incident comes a few weeks after cable thieves stole a 6-kilometer cable feeding electricity to the Rietspruit Wastewater Works,” said Moerane.

Police investigations into the murders are underway and residents who may have information on the incident are hereby advised to contact their nearest police stations.