Six theft suspects, including three City Power security guards, appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Listen to this article 4 min Listen to this article 4 min Fifteen people were arrested in Johannesburg at the weekend for cable theft during an intelligence operation between City Power and law enforcement agencies, led by the SAPS Essential Infrastructure Task Team.

The 15 suspects, including nine security guards contracted to City Power, face charges of theft and tempering with ferrous metals.

Six of the 15 suspects appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrates' Court on Monday. Three are City Power security guards: Bongani Mtshali (43), who is a supervisor, Tony Nkwashu (26) and Musawenkosi Mngube (26). They appeared alongside Thabo Moyo (25), Interest Paija (28) and Bernard Ncube (26), all of whom are from Zimbabwe.

The case was postponed to 8 July.

Criminal activity involving City Power contractors and employees has been ongoing for several years.

In June, City Power told Daily Maverick: "These criminals are well-organised cable theft syndicates. We suspect they possess significant resources, including high-powered weaponry and advanced tools, to target valuable infrastructure. The stolen copper cables themselves are valuable commodities in the black market or scrapyards, as they are easy to steal and sell for a significant profit."

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