Police recovered more than two tonnes of stolen cable in Klerksoord in Pretoria North at the weekend thanks to help from members of the community. An arrest was also made.

This was confirmed by community leader and DA activist Mickey van der Westhuizen.

“On Sunday morning, I attended a community meeting in Klerksoord where residents voiced their grievances about the inadequate provision of services in their area. They expressed concern about overgrown grass and non-functioning street lights, both of which have contributed to an escalation in crime. The main reason for their gathering was the prolonged power outage that had persisted since the previous day,” Van der Westhuizen said.

He said later in the day, the Tshwane team arrived and, accompanied by residents, fixed the outage.

“During this inspection, they discovered illegal connections and a disturbing sight: stripped cables belonging to the South African Railway Passenger Agency at the Ventrinice settlement,” he said.

A resident Van der Westhuizen had met earlier, contacted him to report the discovery and asked for his presence to support the community and understand their frustrations.

Van der Westhuizen, residents and Akasia police entered the informal settlement together.

The group uncovered a syndicate involved in cable theft as well as the illegal sale of liquor and drugs.

He said a significant amount of stolen copper subway cables were recovered, along with illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco products.

“They have identified the arrested suspect as the alleged pawn behind these criminal activities. In addition, we found tools commonly used for cable theft, including screw cutters, pistols and saws,” Van der Westhuizen said.

“This collaborative effort underscored the importance of community involvement and law enforcement in addressing local issues.”

Tshwane Metro DA Leader Cilliers Brink hailed the community action and response from police and DA community leaders and activists that led to the recovery.

Brink said he met with Van der Westuizen on October 28 to express his thanks to the community of Klerskoord and the police for their swift action.

“The incident underscores the importance of not just community involvement in policing, but what a whole-of-society approach can mean to addressing issues facing communities,” Brink said. “By working together to fight crime and serve communities, governments and community organizations can achieve far more than any government can achieve alone.”

– Click here to watch a video of the Klerksoord bust

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