By Jonk wa Mashamba
news@alexreporter.co.za
City Power has welcomed the arrest of a thug who got flashed over and injured after he tried to steal a cable near the repair site of electricity fault in Alexandra.
The suspect is currently fighting for his life in the custody of Sandringham police.
City Power teams and contractors were busy on site trenching to repair a cable fault near the Alexandra Substation when, bizarrely few meters away, the suspect tried to cut and steal copper cable.
“What the suspect was not aware of is that some of the cables were live and supplied electricity to customers at that time of his actions,” said City Power spokesperson,
Isaac Mangena.
“The cable blew up and burnt the suspect on most of the upper body including the face.
“The police arrived on site and rescued the suspect just as the community was about to beat the suspect up accusing him of adding to their woes of going days without power due to cable theft,” Mangena said.
According to Mangena, the area near Riverpark and the surroundings is one of the hotspots for cable theft and vandalism.
He said that was part of the reason most of the community at east of the Jukskei river have gone for almost a week without electricity.
Mangena said the unknown suspect has been charged with tampering with, and attempted theft of, essential infrastructure, and other related crimes.
“Meanwhile, City Power recorded 25 incidents of cable theft and vandalism this weekend alone, with eight of those happening in the Inner City.”
Pics supplied.