RUSTENBURG HERALD - RUSTENBURG - A municipal employee of Council and five other foreign nationals were arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning for being in possession of stolen copper cables and transformer components, following a tip-off from the public that for the past three to six years municipal trucks have been seen going in and out of this employee’s residence.
The suspects were nabbed by the Royal Bafokeng Administration Reaction Force, supported by the Rustenburg Local Municipality’s Public Safety Department, and SAPS. They have been handed over to the South African Police Service for possession of suspected stolen copper cables found at the premises of the municipal employee in Tsitsing village.
These individuals face charges of theft and unlawful possession of copper cables, estimated to be worth over R80 000. Many of the blackouts Rustenburg have been experiencing may be attributed to these criminal activities involving vandalism of electrical infrastructure and cable theft, which have been hampering the municipality’s ability to provide uninterrupted services to the community. A case of cable theft has been opened at the Phokeng police station, and the suspects are being detained whilst further investigations continue. The Municipality expects to see more arrests in connection with this case.
The municipality commends the Royal Bafokeng Administration Reaction Force for their vigilance, and swift reaction. The arrest of the suspects aligns with the municipality’s zero-tolerance approach towards illegal activities.
Furthermore, this shows that collaboration with other law enforcement agencies also bears fruit. The municipality encourages members of the public to report any information related to unlawful activities, including illegal electricity sales, fraud, and theft of copper cables. Reports can be made to any South African Police Station or on10111.
