A MAN lost his life while he was allegedly stealing electricity cables in Gwayi Street in Crossroads, Nyanga on Thursday morning, 7 December.
The death of the suspected cable thief was met with mixed feelings by residents, with some happily saying it was "good riddance" as the incident left residents in the dark for more than 12 hours. Other residents said although the suspect was vandalising electricity infrastructure, he didn't deserve to die like that.
Speaking to Daily Sun, Nothando Velem (46), a resident from Gwayi Street, said they woke up without electricity, but there was no load shedding in the area.
"When I went outside my yard, I saw people gathered around a man lying dead in the street with a bolt cutter next to him. The thick electricity transmission cable connected to the transformer was cut off. It was clear that the man cut off the cable before he was electrocuted," she said.
Nothando said the man was unknown, but others alleged that he is from the Veza area, another section of Crossroads.
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"If he's from there, why can't he cut electricity from his area but ruins ours. We spent all day without electricity after the incident. I'm not celebrating his death, but he deserves what happened to him," she said.
Another resident, Nomfuneko Rhali suspects that the electricity thief tried to use load shedding to steal electricity cables, but he was too late as the electricity came back while he was in the process.
"There was load shedding earlier in the morning before we woke up, but by the time we woke up there was no electricity. The electricity definitely didn't come back because of the incident. This man was probably trying his lucky to steal the cable, but the electricity was too fast for him," she said.
Police spokesman Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed the incident. "Nyanga police registered an inquest for investigation after the body of a man believed to be in his 30s was discovered in Gwayi Street on Thursday morning. According to reports, the victim was busy cutting cables when he was electrocuted. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation," said Twigg.
