Johannesburg is facing a copper cable theft crisis. Between July 2022 and June 2023, there were an average of 6 thefts a day. This is an increase from 6 years ago, when there were an average of 4 a day.

The highest number of cable theft incidents in a month was July 2022, when there were 273 incidents, according to City Power’s latest annual report.

The theft has become so bad that City Power has turned to the military for help.

‘The people who attack our network are highly sophisticated and militarised. The type of firearms they carry, we cannot withstand it as civilians, and we have called on law enforcement to assist us,’ Sergeant Thela, general manager of risk and security at City Power, told Newzroom Afrika last week.

Cable theft was behind the fire on the M1 highway earlier this month. It will cost Joburg R23-million to repair. Residents in parts of the city lost power for a week.