Cable thieves tripped up

Members of Eskom’s security investigations team have arrested four men found in possession of stolen overhead conductor cable in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, Eskom said yesterday.

The arrests came after three of the suspects were observed leaving an area where a high-voltage overhead power line had just been cut, the parastatal said in a statement.

“Our security officers were conducting routine surveillance when they noticed sparks in the night sky along Petrus Stroom Road in Dargle, near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal,” Eskom divisional executive for security Tebogo Rakau said.

The sparks caught the attention of security officers because of the power lines that run in that area. When they investigated, they saw three men who seemed to be waiting next to the road. A few hours later, a white minibus was seen travelling towards the waiting men. When it stopped the men started loading what looked like rolls of cable into the minibus, Rakau said.

“The quick reaction of our officers ensured that all suspects, including the driver of the minibus, were arrested on the scene,” he said.

A search of the minibus and the suspects revealed 10 rolls of stolen copper conductor cable, hacksaws, side cutters, large pliers, and a 9mm Norinco pistol. All evidence and the suspects were handed over to the Howick South African Police Service.

“Even though the thieves were apprehended very quickly, significant damage to important infrastructure had already occurred. In this case, it disrupted power distribution between Howick and the Midmar Dam, which supplies water to large parts of KwaZulu-Natal, including Pinetown, Cato Ridge, and Umlazi,” Rakau said.

“This demonstrates the far-reaching effects of cable theft. It is not only power supply that’s affected. Other essential services such as water supply, healthcare services and schooling are also disrupted when electricity infrastructure like power lines and transformers are damaged or stolen.

“While Eskom remains resolute in the fight against cable theft, we implore each resident to play their part in protecting the public infrastructure. This can be done by reporting those involved in this crime by sending anonymous SMS tip-offs to Crime Line on 32211.” – ANA