Cable theft syndicate: City of Tshwane employee arrested for trying to steal transformers

A brazen attempt by an alleged cable theft syndicate involving a Tshwane employee to steal transformers from the Claudius substation in Laudium on Wednesday afternoon was foiled by community members.

According to the City of Tshwane, vigilant community members noticed unusual activity at the substation. An employee from the energy & electricity department and his associates arrived in a fleet of marked and unmarked trucks, carrying a variety of equipment, including an expensive crane.

City spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the syndicate had removed two MVA transformers from the plinth, with the other already dismantled and ready to be placed onto a flatbed truck. Bokaba said the community’s curiosity was triggered as the city had not issued any notice of maintenance due to take place at the substation and the power was on in the area.

“The community members contacted the cable theft unit of TMPD (Tshwane Metro Police Department) who, together with SAPS members, swiftly responded and arrested a few suspects, including a Tshwane employee,” he said.

The other suspects fled the scene.

Bokaba said the city had lost billions of rand due to theft and vandalism of infrastructure by a well-organised syndicate, which could not have carried out such a huge and audacious theft without city employees' collusion and active participation.

Tshwane city manager Johann Mettler was livid at the alleged involvement of a Tshwane employee.

He praised community members for their vigilance and alerting law enforcement authorities.

“This is the kind of partnership that we should forge with communities. Government on its own can’t combat this crime phenomenon without the community being our eyes and ears. We have always maintained that the infrastructure does not belong to the municipality, but to the community — it is there to provide services to our communities, and therefore the community should guard it with jealousy.

“This community was brave enough to contact law enforcement after noticing a strange occurrence at the substation. We implore communities across all seven regions of the city to do likewise. I’d like to issue a stern warning to other employees who are colluding with criminals that their days are numbered. We will nail them one by one,” Mettler said.

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