Stop Electricity Cable Theft In Capital Park, Pretoria!

We, the residents & supporters of Capital Park, Pretoria, call on City of Tshwane to take urgent, coordinated & lasting action to address the escalating theft of electricity cables, vandalism of electrical distribution boxes & repeated electricity outages affecting our community.

1. The problem
Capital Park has experienced a serious increase in electricity cable theft & damage to electricity distribution boxes situated on street corners & elsewhere in the suburb. Residents report that, over the past month, cables have been stolen virtually every day.
The thefts are at different times. Residents have reported incidents at 11:00 on a Sunday morning, as well as during the early hours of the morning.
The repeated theft & damage leave residents without electricity & place pressure on municipal repair teams & resources. Residents are also concerned about the safety risks created by damaged, open or tampered-with electrical infrastructure.
This pattern requires more than repeated emergency repairs. The community needs a practical preventative plan, secure infrastructure & clear accountability for responding to reports.

2. What residents are asking the City to do
DEMAND 1 — Replace vulnerable copper cables with suitable aluminium alternatives: We request a properly assessed programme to replace copper electricity cables in Capital Park with suitable aluminium alternatives wherever technically appropriate, safe & compliant with applicable engineering standards. The City should identify vulnerable routes & prioritise locations repeatedly targeted by thieves. Replacing stolen copper with more copper, without addressing the underlying vulnerability, risks perpetuating the cycle of theft, outages & repair costs.
DEMAND 2 — Secure every electricity distribution box: We request an inspection of electricity distribution boxes and cabinets throughout Capital Park, followed by the repair or replacement of damaged units and the installation of secure, tamper-resistant locking mechanisms. Boxes must be properly closed & maintained, & access must be restricted to authorised personnel. The City should prioritise boxes that are already damaged, unsecured or repeatedly targeted.
DEMAND 3 — Improve response times and municipal accountability: We request that the Ward Councillor actively follow up on residents’ reports & escalate unresolved faults with the municipal departments. The City should acknowledge reports promptly, provide reference numbers, communicate realistic repair timeframes & give residents progress updates where outages or repairs remain unresolved. Residents should not have to repeatedly chase departments or submit the same complaint to obtain a response.
DEMAND 4 — Introduce a preventative security and monitoring plan: We request a coordinated plan involving the City, the South African Police Service & other relevant law-enforcement or safety partners. The plan should identify recurring theft locations and patterns, increase monitoring of vulnerable infrastructure, arrange regular inspections & establish a clear process for reporting suspected theft or tampering.

3. A written response and action plan
City of Tshwane & the relevant Ward Councillor must provide a substantive written response that:
• acknowledges receipt of this petition;
• responds to each of the 4 demands;
• sets out how vulnerable cable routes &electrical boxes will be assessed and prioritised;
• explains what security measures will be implemented and how suitable cable replacement will be evaluated;
• provides responsible municipal contact points, service-request escalation arrangements and proposed implementation timeframes; and
• explains how residents will receive progress updates.
We request an acknowledgement within 14 working days and a substantive response and proposed action plan within 30 working days, where reasonably possible. If these timeframes cannot be met, we ask the City to explain why & provide a firm alternative date.

4. Our collective position
Capital Park residents deserve safe, reliable electricity infrastructure and an effective response when essential municipal services are disrupted. Daily cable theft, damaged electrical boxes, repeated outages and prolonged delays should not become an accepted part of everyday life.
We are asking for lasting preventative measures, not temporary repairs after each theft. We want City of Tshwane to take practical, measurable action to protect the suburb’s electricity infrastructure.

5. Petition support
By signing this petition, I support the requests for action set out above & call on the City of Tshwane & the Ward Councillor to respond & implement a practical plan.
This petition is intended for submission to the relevant public authorities. Signatories should provide only the information requested by the petition organiser. Do not include identity numbers, or other unnecessary sensitive personal information.