Theft and vandalism of electrical infrastructure continue to claim lives, and cost ratepayers millions, as City Power records its second fatality in less than a week in the Roodepoort service area.
Suspect falls to his death
City Power reported that a suspected thief died in the early hours of Monday morning after falling while attempting to steal a streetlight fitting on Diane Crescent in Florida, Roodepoort.
The incident is the second fatality linked to tampering with City Power infrastructure in the Roodepoort service delivery centre within four days.
City Power confirmed that its teams were alerted to the incident and that the matter has since been handed over to the relevant authorities.
Customers in the area were not affected by the incident and the Roodepoort streetlight maintenance team is set to replace the damaged fitting and secure the infrastructure.
Isaac Mangena, general manager of public relations and communication at City Power, said the utility was once again dealing with the deadly consequences of infrastructure theft.
“Tampering with electrical infrastructure is illegal and extremely dangerous,” he said. “Such actions often lead to serious injuries, fatalities and, in many cases, prolonged power outages affecting homes, businesses and essential services.”
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A second death follows last week’s electrocution
The Florida fatality follows an incident last week in which a suspect was electrocuted on Buitekant Street in Roodepoort West while attempting to steal an 11kV electrical cable.
According to City Power, the live cable sparked and exploded after being cut, killing the suspect on the scene.
Mangena emphasised that while the Diane Crescent incident did not result in any supply interruptions for customers, the broader impact of this kind of criminal activity cannot be understated.
“Theft and vandalism of electrical infrastructure continue to cost City Power significant amounts of money and place immense strain on the network and repair teams,” he said.
Residents urged to report suspicious activity
City Power is calling on residents to be vigilant and to report any suspicious activity around electrical infrastructure, including unauthorised individuals near substations, damaged access points, or people carrying cables or cutting equipment.
Mangena reinforced the appeal, saying the public has a critical role to play in protecting infrastructure that belongs to everyone.
“Residents are urged to report any suspicious activity around electrical infrastructure,” he said.
Mnagena added that incidents can be reported to the City Power Security Risk Management Control Room on 011 490 7900 / 7911 / 7553 or via WhatsApp on 083 579 4497.
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