Photo: City Power
City Power said a mini substation worth R500k was stolen just a day after its installation
City Power said it opened a case with the police but is also conducting an internal investigation after a mini substation was stolen from outside a Johannesburg high school a day after it was installed.
Photo: City Power
A very expensive mini substation that supplied electricity to a Johannesburg high school was stolen just a day after it was installed. Joburg’s City Power has lodged a complaint with the police but they are also appealing to the community to help find the suspects.
CITY POWER INFRASTRUCTURE WORTH R500k STOLEN
City Power said the mini substation (MSS) was stolen from the outside of Fleurhof Secondary School sometime at night during last week. The theft of the infrastructure, which is worth R500 000, took place just a day after it was installed.
“The MSS supplies power to the nearby school which is the only customer currently affected,” said City Power. “We have opened a case of theft of essential infrastructure with the police and are hopeful that they will crack it.”
The Johannesburg utility said they are appealing to members of the community to assist them and the police with finding the perpetrators.
“The theft of our infrastructure including cables, substations doors, fuses, busbars, has become so brazen and the perpetrators are heavily armed in some instances,” said Sergeant Thela, the General Manager of Security Risk Management.
City Power has already ordered a replacement mini substation and will install it at another location where it will be visible to the school’s security staff.
INSIDE JOB?
City Power said in addition to the case opened with the police it has also launched an internal investigation because it believes the theft of the mini substation is related to organised crime.
“…the suspects may have had the help of insiders, including the contractors,” said the power utility.
The area around Fleurhof Secondary School is reportedly susceptible to cable theft and the city said it has improved security and spoke to community members about solutions to protect the infrastructure as the inconvenience caused by vandalism and theft affects them too.
“Anyone with information about the stolen transformer and the suspects is urged to call the nearest police or City Power Security Risk Management control room at 011-490-7900, 011-490-7911 or 011-490-7553,” said the city.
