Ten suspects have been arrested for illegally excavating and removing a seven-meter copper cable in Morningside on 8 November 2017.

Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) Inspector, Steven Mammba was conducting proactive inspections in Morningside when he came across the illegal excavation on Rivonia Road between Outspan and Centre Roads.

When he approached the group of men, he requested a wayleave permit for the excavation; however, they failed to produce any authorisation documents.

Mammba subsequently informed the JRA Wayleave Department, which handles authorising excavations across the City, and the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) was then requested to act immediately on the matter.

Report criminal activity

“We are pleased that the proactive measures put in place to address the spate of infrastructure theft and vandalism is bearing fruit. These acts of criminality are a direct sabotage of the City’s efforts and services,”said JRA Acting Managing Director, Goodwill Mbatha said.

“We are grateful to Inspector Mammba for his efforts and quick thinking which led to the arrests. The suspects were taken to Morningside Police Station and the matter is pending further investigation by South African Police Services. We are appealing to the public to report criminal activity and we advise community members to request a valid wayleave permit from labourers working on state infrastructure. Failure to produce one indicates the activity is illegal,” he explained.

The JRA said it will continue to work closely with JMPD as part of the City’s infrastructure protection initiatives to combat crime. “Scrap yard owners and community members have been cautioned not to purchase stolen road assets,” the JRA concluded.