Residents in Humansdorp are at their wits’ end with frequent power outages affecting their daily lives and causing havoc at night as theft and break-ins increase.
In a statement released by the Kouga Municipality on October 1, it was said that residents in Humansdorp, particularly in the Arcadia and Kruisfontein areas, have recently been impacted by frequent power failures caused by criminal acts.
Almost daily in the early morning hours, individuals within the community throw wires across the overhead power lines. While the motives remain unclear, the statement said that this destructive behaviour is a serious criminal offence.
“The network spans a wide area, making it challenging to monitor and patrol effectively. Each incident causes significant damage to the network, switchgear, and transformers, leading to ongoing disruptions,” the statement said.
The municipality has urged the community to assist in addressing this issue.
Jonathan Phyllis from 7de Laan said that the electricity problem is a huge concern for the residents since their power is off every second day.
He said that it has also been a safety concern at night as residents fear theft or house robberies.
Phyllis said that during a recent power outage, he heard a loud bang before the power went off.
He said that shortly after the power went off, intruders entered his home but quickly ran off when he began screaming.
“I had to lock myself inside my room and I screamed out random names to chase them off, which worked because they ran out.”
Phyllis said that he believes “naughty children” who are frustrated because they have nothing to do or cannot find someone to rob, often throw wires at the cables. In the hope that power outages are quickly resolved, he said that when he hears the familiar “loud bang” before the power goes off, he shares this information with the members of the Ward 4 WhatsApp group.
“Every time I hear a bang in my street, I report it to the group so that the electricians can go directly to the problem area,” said Phyllis.
Kouga Executive Deputy Mayor and Member of the Mayoral Committee for Electro and Mechanical Services, Timothy Jantjes, said that numerous cases of damage to municipal infrastructure have been reported to Humansdorp SAPS. Despite these reports, he said that none of the perpetrators have been arrested.
Jantjes said that information can be reported to Senior Law Enforcement Official, Adam Floors, at 081 215 8713.
“All information will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, and the identity of the informant will be protected,” said Jantjes.
The municipality has also indicated that a reward is available for information that aids in identifying those responsible and bringing them to justice.
