Three contractor employees have been arrested in Randburg after allegedly stealing electricity infrastructure during an authorised repair operation, as City Power intensifies its fight against a wave of sabotage, cable theft and illegal electricity activities that continue to cripple Johannesburg's power network.
The arrests come as City Power revealed that 97 suspects have already been arrested for infrastructure-related crimes this year, while the courts have handed down a combined 146 years in prison to convicted offenders.
The three suspects, aged between 35 and 42, were arrested during an intelligence-driven operation in Beverley Gardens on June 2 after allegedly interfering with critical electricity infrastructure.
According to City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena, officials acted on information that contractors working on an authorised cable fault repair had exceeded the approved scope of work.
Investigations found that while permission had been granted for an excavation of about 20 metres, the trench had allegedly been extended to approximately 50 metres. Officials further discovered that an underground cable had allegedly been removed without authorisation.
