Marshalltown Residents Have Been Without Electricity Since December 2024

• Residents of Marshalltown in Johannesburg have been living in the dark since thieves stole cables and damaged infrastructure
• Some have had to buy generators to sustain their businesses, while others could not afford them and have been plunged into the darkness
• Eskom spoke to Briefly Neews about the scourge of cable theft and infrastructure damage and how many cases it opened in 2024

With nine years of experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, provided insights into infrastructure challenges and state-owned enterprises in South Africa at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG—Residents of Marshalltown in Johannesburg have been affected by infrastructure damage and cable theft. They have been without lights since December last year.

Marshalltown had a dark Christmas

According to Eyewitness News, the residents of Marshalltown have reportedly complained to City Power about cable theft and infrastructure damage. As a result, they have not had electricity since December.

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Although some businesses could afford to purchase generators to sustain their businesses, residents were not as fortunate. One resident said City Power promised multiple times to fix and restore the light, but they are still in the dark.

Cable theft in 2024

• Three City Power employees and their accomplices were arrested in August last year for stealing cable worth R20,000 in Booysens, Johannesburg
• The South African Police Service in KwaZulu-Natal recovered stolen copper cable worth over R20 million at a scrapyard
• The police in Johannesburg busted six suspects in December after they were caught with cable worth R250,000

Eskom speaks to Briefly News

Speaking to Briefly News, Eskom revealed that cable theft cases were opened in 2024.

"From April - November 2024 we have on record 241 cases reported and currently under investigation by the South African Police Service for substations with 6 arrests. The number can increase when you consider general theft, illegal connections, and other related crimes," the SOE said.

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Eskom battles vandalism and cable theft

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Eskom is battling the scourge of cable theft and vandalism in communities. This was after the Seboka Substation in Emuleni, Gauteng, was vandalised, leaving residents in the dark.

The state utility told Briefly News that it suffered from cable theft, transformer and other critical equipment vandalism, illegal connections and damage to its network infrastructure. It called on community members to report vandalism.

Source: Briefly News