Schoemansville and parts of Ifafi and Melodie went dark again in the early hours of Tuesday when cable thieves hit again, stealing approximately 60m of copper cable in Ifafi.
Madibeng councillor Gulauem Clouston received complaints in the early morning hours. “I contacted a security company saying I suspect a cable has been stolen again and asked if they would have a look. A short while later the trench was discovered in the veld in Howitzer Street in Ifafi. I suspect the thieves have been digging for days,” Clouston said.
The Madibeng municipality has relayed power to the affected areas for the time being.
This follows the theft of copper cable near the Ifafi substation last week. Thieves dug a trench overnight and stole the cable which left large parts of Hartbeespoort without power. Xanadu Eco Estate assisted in replacing the cable by supplying its backactor and paying for aluminium cable connectors.
Romano van der Spuy, chairman of the Hartbeespoort Community Policing Forum said the police and security agencies are requested to assist in apprehending the suspects. “This problem has now escalated to a serious level,” he said.