​Two suspects are expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court for possession of stolen copper cables. The pair was apprehended by JPMD officers at the weekend after being caught in the act at the intersection of Pritchard and Joubert Streets in the CBD.

The copper cables were allegedly stolen from a Telkom underground tunnel in the Inner City.

Cable theft and vandalism reportedly cost the City over R20-million every financial year.

“This is worrying because that is money that could be used to stabilise the network and improve our services to the people of the City,” says Cllr Mpho Moerane, the MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services (EISD).

The City’s Group Forensic and Investigation Service (GFIS) concedes that the expansive footprint of City Power’s network makes it difficult to safeguard its infrastructure from criminals.

“The City relies on the cooperation of communities we serve to report incidents of theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure so that those perpetrators can be brought to book,” says GFIS.

Cllr Moerane notes that criminals who steal copper cables short-circuit service delivery and sabotage the local economy and the municipality, leaving businesses and homes in the dark. It is estimated that 45 per cent of power outages in Johannesburg are caused by cable theft.

City Power is replacing copper conductor cables with aluminium conductor cables, which have little to no street value, in a bid to thwart cable theft.

MMC Moerane encourages residents to guard against and report cable theft or any suspicious activity to the City Power Control Room: 011 490 7900/11/ or toll-free number 0800 003251; alternatively, telephone the GFIS hotline on 0800 002 587 or email: whistle@joburg.org.za or visit the GFIS offices situated at 48 Ameshoff Street, Braamfontein.