The City of Cape Town has recorded a massive 201 incidents of vandalism and illegal electricity connections, and says Mitchells Plain and Philippi are the main culprits.
Mayco member for Energy, Councillor Beverley van Reenen says these incidents were just for the third quarter.
Van Reenen says: “The Mitchells Plain, Philippi district was the worst affected district with 85 recorded incidents. The most vandalism and electricity theft incidents occurred in September 2023, with 81 recorded for Area South, 27 for Area North and 18 for Area East.
“While we are seeing a decrease in vandalism incidents in many areas, it is alarming to note the increase of vandalism in Area South, particularly the Mitchells Plain district.
“The Mitchells Plain district not only includes areas within Mitchells Plain but areas outside of the region such as Lotus River, Grassy Park and Philippi. All these areas are hotspots for vandalism and illegal connections.
“Approximately R4 million has been spent on the repair and replacement of damaged infrastructure in the last three months and sadly, many of the incidents are reoccurring where the same infrastructure is vandalised.
“In Philippi and the surrounding areas for example, we are seeing a number of these recurring incidents taking place. Our teams carry out regular illegal connection disconnections in the area and will continue to monitor hotspots.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za