This past Saturday, the FF Plus in the Tshwane Metro and a number of community members rolled up their sleeves to help farmers and businesses in the northern parts of Pretoria secure their properties against cable theft.
A large number of cables and transformers were recently stolen, and farmers had to get by without power for days on end.
The farmers and nearby residents make use of boreholes, but were unable to use their pumps to supply water.
A well-known nursery situated in the area is one of the businesses which was severely affected when two transformers were stolen this past week.
Residents and FF Plus supporters came together and used bulldozers to close the large ditches dug open by cable thieves to access and steal more power cables.
Power poles were firmly anchored using cement and also painted with tar to prevent thieves from sawing down the poles, stealing transformers and digging up power cables
. The surrounding grass was also cut to improve visibility.
Residents even established a patrol service to protect their infrastructure.
The FF Plus commended the community for their hard work and dedication to protecting their property. A dog was even trained to track down possible thieves hiding in the area.
This is a shining example of how cooperation and self-determination help to ensure a community’s safety and security.
