RESIDENTS of Pretoria North in Tshwane are tired of cable theft and being left in the darkness because of thugs.
On Thursday, 18 January, the community took the law into their own hands and beat two men who were suspected to have been behind the stealing of cables in their area.
In a video clip, a man is seen bleeding seriously, with his hands tied on the back of a bakkie.
The community is heard on the video saying criminals dug concrete and stole the cables. They also asked the alleged criminals where the cable was.
One of the alleged thieves is heard saying the cable was in the bushes.
"We will kill these animals, guys," said a community member.
City of Tshwane spokesman Lindela Mashigo said the city’s energy and electricity department was yet to conduct an assessment on the extent of the damage caused at the affected substation.
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"Cable theft causes a great inconvenience to the residents as it not only plunges the whole neighbourhood into darkness, but it also degrades essential services such as traffic lights and erodes the city’s financial resource which is direly needed to improve service delivery and rejuvenate the network rather than replacing already working equipment," said Mashigo.
Mashigo further said the city’s management urges customers to take ownership of municipal infrastructure as it benefits the communities.
"The City of Tshwane further condemns these acts of vandalism of its infrastructure and urges members of the community to report any suspicious activities to the Tshwane Metro Police Department 24-hour line on 012 358 7095/7096 or the Cable Theft Hotline on 080 011 2722," he said.
Gauteng police spokeswoman Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said on Thursday, 18 January, cops in Akasia responded to a complaint of tempering with municipal infrastructure at TP informal settlement around the Amandasig area.
"Upon arrival, the police found two men allegedly assaulted by members of the community. It's reported that both men were digging the cable that runs from Magalies through Rosslyn.
"One of them was declared dead on the scene while the other one was arrested for tampering with essential infrastructure and was taken to hospital for medical assistance," she said.
Nevhuhulwi said a case of murder and attempted murder has also been opened for further investigations.
