Theft leaves suburbs powerless

Cable theft has caused havoc in some parts of Honeydew and Ruimsig.

Honeydew resident Marritjie Van der Walt said she was angry waking up with no electricity. “I had to take a cold shower and now I’m going for breakfast at a restaurant because I can’t have a decent meal at my house.”

Roads were chaotic, with most traffic lights out.

Cables were stolen at the corner of Pierre Road and Short Street in Honeydew. It is believed the cables were stolen in the early hours of Friday 13 December.

According to a City Power technician who the Northside spoke to while on site at the corner of Pierre Road and Short Street, thieves sawed down the power distribution pole to get the cables on ground level. “They did that so that they could easily access the copper cables,” the technician explained. Technicians on site were ring feeding (sending power) to affected areas.

While doing this, a mini sub-station on Peter Road (close to Chestnut Street) exploded and caught fire, causing further power interruption.

The lack of interest in combating crime by the the police has been brought into question. A resident, who prefers to remain nameless, said police appear apathetic. “A few weeks ago I saw cable theft in progress, I alerted the police and they didn’t seem to care because they didn’t even bother to go and check it out, despite me giving them all the information.”

Louis Pieterse of City Power said technicians were working around the clock to fix the mini sub-station and restore power in all areas.