BY AZOLA JANUARY
A MAN is fighting for his life in hospital under police guard.
This after he was electrocuted while trying to steal electrical cables in Holomisa, near Kariega yesterday.
Residents welcomed the man’s arrest after being flashed over and injured when he was trying to steal a cable during loadsheding.
Isaac Mangena, spokesman for KwaNolec, said their teams and contractors were busy on-site trenching to repair a cable fault in KwaNobuhle substation when, strangely a few meters away, the suspect tried to cut and steal copper cable.
Mangena said the suspect was not aware that some of the cables were live and supplied electricity to customers at the time of his actions.
“The cable blew up and burnt the suspect on most of the upper body, including the face.
“The police arrived on site and rescued the suspect just as the community was about to beat him up. This was after they accused him of adding to their problems of going days without power due to cable theft,” he said.
Mangena said the area in Gunguluza and the surrounding areas is one of the hotspots for cable theft and vandalism.
He said the unknown suspect will be charged with tampering with and attempted theft of essential infrastructure and other related crimes.
Meanwhile, KwaNolec recorded 25 incidents of cable theft and vandalism this past weekend alone, with eight happening in the inner kariega.
Daily Kasi News 