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Traffic cones were placed along 5th Avenue in Newton Park and traffic was diverted as a crew worked methodically between the utility poles for days, in full view of residents and passing motorists.
There was no rush, no attempt to hide and nothing to suggest anything was out of the ordinary as the crew arrived at 11.30am on Saturday last week.
They used a cherry-picker while a man in a bakkie drove behind the truck, video footage shows.
By the time the cones were cleared away at about 3am on Monday, the 200m overhead copper power lines that had stretched between Willet and Lucas streets were gone.
In their place hung a single and cheaper aluminium conductor.
It turns out that what residents had witnessed was actually a carefully orchestrated occurrence of cable theft disguised as legitimate maintenance.
The municipality has since reported an incident of vandalism and unlawful interference with municipal electrical infrastructure to the police.
So convinced that the work was legit, one resident offered them cooldrink as they worked throughout the night.
However, now they say the thieves allegedly exploited the appearance of an official work crew, allowing them to operate in broad daylight without raising an alarm.
The replacement was also crudely done, with the aluminium conductor strung across existing cross-arms where multiple insulated copper conductors had previously been installed.
Some of the insulators have since exploded, while the new line was left without adequate insulation.
Sparks have also been seen where the cable touches the crossbars.
This has raised fears that if the overhead conductor is damaged by wind or friction it could pose a serious electrocution hazard.
During the theft, some of the working street lights were disconnected.
Similar work was done in Mowbray Street, Frank Street and other areas of Newton Park, according to the Ward 7 councillor.
One of the men who removed the cables was tracked down.
The reporter met him outside the Walmer police station on Friday night.
Afterwards, he was asked to provide a statement but this was not done by the time of publication despite a follow-up message.
Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the work in 5th Avenue had not been authorised by either the electricity depot or any municipal official.
“All electrical installations undertaken by municipal employees or appointed contractors are carried out in accordance with the applicable safety regulations, technical standards and compliance requirements.
“As the installation was not authorised, the quality of workmanship and compliance with the required standards could not be verified.”
He said municipal officials had inspected the road and established that the work had been undertaken illegally.
“Consequently, a criminal case relating to the vandalism and unlawful interference with municipal electrical infrastructure has been opened at the Mount Road police station.”
He said the municipality was informed on Monday last week.
“It has also been referred to the safety and security directorate for further investigation.
“The municipality is aware of the increasing incidents of theft, vandalism and illegal tampering with municipal electrical infrastructure across various parts of the metro.
“Cable theft has been reported in several areas, including Walmer and Lorraine.”
He pleaded with residents and stakeholders to work with law enforcement to ensure all acts of criminality and vandalism were dealt with appropriately.
“The municipality also pleads with law enforcement agencies to help prevent [vandalism] and protect public property and infrastructure through the implementation of proactive and agile enforcement measures.”
Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge confirmed a case of copper cable theft was under investigation.
A resident, who asked not to be named, said the new cable had been installed across the cross‑bars without proper insulation.
“The installation appears substandard and noncompliant with electrical safety requirements.
“The exposed, uninsulated cable poses a direct electrocution risk should it be damaged by wind or friction.
“Residents are now at risk of shock or injury from bare metal contact.
“This situation presents a clear and immediate danger to the public and requires urgent municipal oversight.”
He said Herbert Hurd Primary School was directly across the road and pupils faced the risk of being injured.
“The households connected to this illegal installation are now at risk of electrical faults, fire and potential loss of life.
“The municipality’s failure to act promptly places residents, schoolchildren and surrounding properties in danger, and urgent corrective action is required.”
Another resident, Gerhard Freeman, said he took his hat off to them for pulling off such a daring theft.
“When I saw sparks I thought something was wrong.
“But when you work for the municipality, you assume they are working late for overtime.
“Crime does pay.
“But we want answers on when the municipality will fix it.”
Ward 7 councillor Brendon Pegram wrote to acting city manager Lonwabo Ngoqo on Wednesday.
Pegram said he was contacted by several concerned residents regarding electricity issues in Newton Park, including so-called work along 5th Avenue.
“On Monday afternoon, at about 4.50pm, a resident requested that I attend the area [5th Avenue] to witness first-hand the problems being experienced.
“You will recall that I contacted you regarding this matter while I was on site.”
He said residents told him a team had started work on Saturday and continued until about 3am on Monday.
“On Monday, the resident observed two municipal officials in the area who advised that a very serious problem existed.”
He said that according to the resident, they indicated that the situation was of such a nature that it could potentially result in people being electrocuted inside their homes or even by simply coming into contact with infrastructure such as a lamppost.
“I am further informed that the connections made at these poles do not comply with the required standards and regulations and have resulted in significant electrical issues throughout the area.”
He said residents had reported electric shocks when touching metal fixtures within their homes, including taps and other conductive surfaces.
“In addition, I have received numerous reports of severe voltage fluctuations in the area.”
He said residents reported voltage readings of 171V and 286V.
An accepted range is 207V to 253V.
“These fluctuations have resulted in damage to household appliances, including televisions, refrigerators, geysers, ice makers and other electrical devices.”
He said an electrical team had arrived at 5th Avenue at 8pm on Monday.
“The officials who attended expressed considerable concern regarding what they found.
“After being briefed by the resident on the work that had been undertaken, the attending team had no knowledge of this work, nor did their supervisors, whom they contacted on site.
“More concerningly, a municipal official on site indicated that, based on the circumstances, there was a possibility that the individuals involved were not authorised at all and may have been unlawfully removing and replacing cables.
“The official further advised that municipal teams did not ordinarily conduct work until the early hours of the morning and that, when private contractors were appointed, a municipal artisan was required to be present to oversee the work.
“No communication regarding the replacement of electrical infrastructure in this area was provided to the ward office and I do not know about any authorised project being undertaken.”
He said it appeared that the required compliance procedures may not have been followed.
“This has understandably led residents, as well as myself, to question whether the individuals who carried out this work were, in fact, authorised by the municipality or the electricity directorate.”
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