RESIDENTS of Roodepan have been left frustrated by power outages this week as the Sol Plaatje Municipality raises concerns over the increasing incidents of cable theft and vandalism targeting municipal infrastructure.

These acts not only hinder service delivery but also contribute to rising tensions between the community and the municipality.

Municipal spokesperson Thabo Mothibi acknowledged residents' frustrations, noting that many blame the municipality for the outages. He confirmed that the electrical department has been working to restore power in several areas affected by attempted cable theft.

“The Roodepan area has suffered continuous power ages. On Monday, January 3, at around 4am in the morning, large parts of Roodepan were left with no power supply due to the attempted theft of a medium-voltage cable in an open veld.

“Also, on the same day, cables were stolen from an electrical box on the corner of Hexham and Bede in Utility. The previous day, Sunday, January 2, there was a break-in at the Galeshewe sub-station where batteries were stolen from a fleet truck,” said Mothibi.

He emphasised that these crimes place a significant financial burden on the municipality and disrupt service delivery.

“Our electrical department had to work around the clock to repair the damaged cable in an attempt to restore the power. The incident reflects the inconvenience caused to the residents and their frustrations end up being levelled at the door of the municipality.

“While measures are to be implemented in heightening security at strategic sites and engagements are set to unfold with residents, as well as key stakeholders, on how to best protect municipal infrastructure, the public can play a crucial role in reversing the escalating assault on community assets.”

Mothibi also confirmed that law enforcement agencies have made several arrests in connection with cable theft.

“The public’s persistent vigilance and the immediate reporting to the police and municipality security have proven critical in bringing perpetrators to book.

“In a recent incident, a watchful businesswoman reported the theft of materials at the old DFA building. Three suspects were apprehended and are set to appear in court,” he said.