Two people were arrested in Joburg after they were allegedly found with City Power copper cables weighing about 400kg, with an estimated value of R500 000. Picture: JMPD
Power utility City Power has confirmed that a suspect who attempted to escape with stolen city property was shot dead on Friday by City Power hired security personnel.
This after the suspect opened fire on the security on Vermont Street in Eldorado Park while trying to flee with stolen property.
The spokesperson for City Power, Isaac Mangena, said the entity’s private security was called to respond to a suspected case of cable theft that was in progress.
“When they arrived at the scene of the crime, one of the suspects pulled a pistol and fired shots at security officers. The armed officers fired back and the suspect was fatally wounded,” Mangena said.
According to City Power, a murder inquest has been opened at the Eldorado Park Police Station.
Mangena said the second suspect who was also on the scene who was not harmed during the stand-off and was arrested on the spot.
It is reported that the second suspect was caught in possession of copper cable and 500 Led street light covers, which are believed to have been stolen from a nearby school.
Mangena said the second suspect has been charged with theft and possession of stolen property in a growing number of similar incidents in and around the City of Joburg.
“The 22-year-old man has been charged with theft and possession of stolen items. This incident comes amidst increased cases of cable theft and vandalism across the City of Johannesburg in recent weeks.”
In the month of January, City Power recorded over 200 cases of cable theft and vandalism.
“This weekend alone, we had 14 such incidents across all Service Delivery Centres, with five cases of vandalised street lights in the same period,” he said.
Mangena said the power utility is concerned about the increase in cable theft and vandalism of city infrastructure which he said affects provision of services to residents of the city.
“Due to the high incidence of theft and vandalism of transformers and mini substations in the City of Johannesburg, the demand for this equipment is higher than what City Power has available on stock.
“This affects our ability to respond to supply restoration timeously. The city’s electricity utility is calling for increased community participation in safeguarding the network infrastructure,” he said.
Mangena has urged residents to work with City Power in curbing theft and vandalism of its infrastructure and equipment.
“While City Power continues to work hard on increasing its security, including collaborating with various stakeholders and deploying the latest technology to help curb the crime, we still need the help of residents to effectively fight the scourge of cable theft and vandalism,” Mangena said.
The Star
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