Two Mitchells Plain skelms learnt the hard way not to play with fire after they suffered horrific injuries while trying to steal cables from a substation during the early hours of Sunday.
Residents of Artemis Street in Woodlands were without krag for most of the day on Sunday after the nearby substation blew up, while videos showed the diewe’s injuries apparently caused by the livewire.
Kyron Fester says: “The two guys, known only as Bal and The Game by residents, tried to cut the cables but it fell on them and they caught fire. Bal’s clothes burnt off him and the other bra could not even see.
“The mense were kwaad but were also worried about both of them because they were really in pain.”
In a video clip, residents can be heard trying to get sloffies for one of the ouens while he struggles to keep a blanket over his kaal lyf.
His face, hands and legs appear to be burnt. A second video showed the skelm blaming his bra for the explosion.
Kyron says: “I know these guys put us in the dark but at the same time, you have to remember they are just out there skarreling for money, so if they get hurt then you must still care for them.
“We called for the cops and they came with an ambulance to come and fetch both of them.”
He says the krag came back on later that night: “Load shedding already causes sh!t, so we don’t need more reasons for not having power. Also, the guys have been shooting here in the area so we need the lights to be on.
“People were cross for the guys who cut the cables but when they saw how in pain they were, they relaxed and just wanted to see them get help.”
Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha confirms: “The matter has been looked into and services were called to restore electricity supply to the area.”
Police spokesperson captain FC van Wyk says their offices had no record of the incident while residents say SAPS were on scene to take the men away.