Lentswe, Klerksdorp - A major electricity outage and water shortage in several suburbs in Klerksdorp earlier this week were due to cable thieves ransacking municipal infrastructure. The City of Matlosana’s security team deployed to protect the main substation in Ellaton as well as the sewage pump station in Swart Street is under siege. Problems began over the weekend when the city was replacing an electrical cable in Ellaton. Criminals planning to steal the cable in the open trench that was dug pounced on Sunday night.
Lentswe was informed that the security guards and the thieves, believed to be illegal miners, were involved in a shootout.
In a statement to the community on Monday January 29, the City of Matlosana said Klerksdorp CBD, Pienaarsdorp, Elandsheuwel, Ellaton and Randlespark are without electricity due the damage at the transformer at the municipal main substation.
The armoured vehicle that was stationed at Swart Street was deployed to Ellaton and with the pump station left with only one security guard, criminals moved their target there. The guard was overpowered and in an effort to trip the cable that links two substations, they set fire to the generator at midnight on Tuesday January 30. Only the generator was damaged and they could not steal the cable.
At the time of going to print on Wednesday January 31 power was restored to all areas affected. A source who did not want to be named said it is an ongoing battle to protect municipal resources.
“Municipal employees are scared to work late at night to repair electrical cables and pump stations as they are constantly in criminals visors.”
