Two Cable Theft Suspects in Hospital

The two suspects, aged 20 and 54 respectively, have been admitted to hospital with serious burns to their bodies. The one is in a stable condition and the other is in a critical condition.

"They are very lucky to be alive," says Cllr Pieter van Dalen, Chairperson of the City of Cape Town's Non-ferrous Metal Theft Task Team, also known as the Copperheads.

To get at the cable in Acre Street, the suspects dug a trench about two meters deep. They then used a chisel to hack open the 132 000 volt [132 KV] cable which set off an explosion causing severe injuries.

"People who resort to this kind of criminal activity not only gamble with their own lives, but also negatively affect the quality of life of hundreds of other families. The money the City now has to spend on repairs could have been better used in providing much needed services to the community," says Van Dalen.

Criminal charges have been laid against them and they will be arrested pending their discharge from hospital. Follow-up investigations by the task team revealed that one of the suspects was on parole for another prior conviction.

"The City is committed to dealing with the scourge of non- ferrous metal thefts and has adopted a zero tolerance approach to this criminal activity," says Deon Nefdt, project manager for the Non-ferrous Metal Theft Task Team.

Cllr van Dalen thanked the public for their support and urged them to continue reporting suspicious activity to the City's 24 hour cable theft hot line on 0800 222 771 or to Tel: 021 400 1947.

"The City is adopting a holistic approach by involving all the different departments in fighting this scourge. We find that the moment we successfully clamp down on cable theft, criminals start moving their focus to other City property such as drain covers, street signs and traffic lights," he says.

Issued by:
Directorate: Communication
City Of Cape Town
Tel: 021 400 2201

Media Queries:
Cllr Pieter Van Dalen
Chairman, Copperheads Non-Ferrous Metal Theft Task Team
City of Cape Town
Cell: 083 655 2203

Deon Nefdt
Project Manager, Copperheads Non-Ferrous Metal Theft Task Team
City of Cape Town
Tel: 021 400 4819
Cell: 084 233 0013