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City Power Employee Among Trio Arrested for Cable Theft and Vandalism
In a recent development, authorities have apprehended three individuals, including a City Power employee, for their involvement in cable theft and vandalism incidents that occurred in Alexandra and Booysens. The arrests resulted from a joint operation conducted by City Power’s Infrastructure task team, along with police, JMPS, and Prasa, targeting various scrap metal yards in Bramley, Johannesburg.
According to City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena, two suspects, aged between 30 and 50, were apprehended at one of the scrap metal yards during the operation. The suspects were found to possess approximately 100kg of copper cables belonging to City Power. Regrettably, the other two suspects managed to evade capture and flee the scene.
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The investigation leading to these arrests was facilitated by an intelligence-driven operation initiated by the City Power Security Risk Management Team. This operation revealed suspicions of cable theft involving certain staff members across the business at salvage yards.
One of the suspects was scrutinised after being captured on CCTV cameras while loading cables from an evidence locker at the Reuven Complex on July 1. Consequently, City Power’s chief executive, Tshifularo Mashava, confirmed that a case of cable theft had been lodged at the Booysens Police Station. The suspect was arrested and remanded in custody, and he made a court appearance on Friday. Additionally, Mashava stated that further arrests of officials are anticipated as investigations progress.
In response to these incidents and light of the escalating occurrences of cable theft and vandalism, City Power emphasises the deterrent impact of arrests on potential cable thieves. With a record of over 170 documented cable theft and vandalism incidents, the utility welcomes these recent apprehensions to discourage others from engaging in such criminal activities. Furthermore, City Power acknowledges the possibility of some employees and contractors being involved in these crimes relating to infrastructure, making the recent internal arrests indicative of the effectiveness of their security measures.
City Power expresses gratitude to its security cluster partners and appreciates community support in their united efforts to combat cable theft and vandalism. As part of their fight against the illegal sale of copper cables, the utility calls on scrap metal yard owners to collaborate with them rather than hinder their endeavours.
Highlighting the detrimental effects of cable theft and vandalism, City Power’s CEO underscores that these criminal actions lead to prolonged disruptions in operations, inconveniences for customers, and, most importantly, pose risks to the safety and well-being of residents.
In an earnest appeal to residents, City Power urges the public to promptly report any instances of cable theft, vandalism, or suspicious activities near infrastructure to their dedicated hotline at 0800 116 166 or via WhatsApp at 083 579 4497.
Source: City Power employee among 3 arrested for cable theft and vandalism
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Photo: Supplied by Citizen
