The 67-year-old wife of an Odendaalsrus electrician was arrested after being found in possession of copper cable worth R89 000, belonging to the Matjhabeng Municipality.
Yesterday the Matjhabeng Municipality Investigation unit acted on information regarding an electrician living in Hospital Park, Odendaalsrus, who was involved in the illegal trading of copper cable.
The Matjhabeng Municipality Investigation unit, as well as members of Crime Intelligence and Visible Policing, swooped in and discovered the copper cable which belongs to the Matjhabeng Municipality. The cable had been stolen in Odendaalsrus and Welkom.
Police asked the elderly woman living in the house for permission to conduct a search, which she granted.
They discovered copper cable which was stolen from the Theronia sewage treatment plant, also known as the Theronia Waste Water Treatment Works in Welkom, the Kutloanong sewage treatment plant which is currently under construction, and electrical substation number one in the Odendaalsrus central business district (CBD).
The Matjhabeng Municipality Investigation unit confirmed that cases were registered and under investigation by Welkom detective services.
“There was no documentation to prove why all the copper cable belonging to the municipality was found on these residential premises,” says Capt. Stephen Thakeng, media liaison officer for the Lejweleputswa police.
The woman was arrested for possession of suspected stolen copper cable, and theft of copper cable.
The suspect will appear in the Odendaalsrus and Welkom Magistrate Courts, respectively.
The district commissioner of Lejweleputswa, Maj. Gen. Lerato Molale, says these seizure and arrest will send a strong message that during this festive season the police will have a zero-tolerance approach to the destruction of the infrastructure.
“Residents are encouraged to work together with us to squeeze copper cable theft to zero,” says Molale.
