Caught in the act: Two cable vandals nabbed in PMB

Two men were arrested after they were allegedly caught vandalising municipal electrical infrastructure along Moses Mabhida Road in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday. The arrests followed reports of damage to electrical cables in the area, prompting Msunduzi Municipality to deploy its security unit to investigate. During routine surveillance on Wednesday, municipal security officers apprehended two men who were allegedly caught red-handed tampering with electrical infrastructure.

The suspects were immediately arrested and handed over to the Plessislaer Police Station, where they were charged accordingly. The pair was expected to appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. Preliminary assessments estimate the damage to the municipal electrical infrastructure at approximately R200 800.

Msunduzi Municipality said vandalism and theft of electrical infrastructure have a direct and severe impact on service delivery, often resulting in prolonged power outages, increased repair costs and the diversion of municipal resources. The municipality added that damaged or exposed electrical infrastructure also poses serious safety risks to residents, businesses and road users. Residents have been urged to work with law enforcement and municipal authorities by reporting suspicious activity involving municipal infrastructure.