Electricity has been restored to more than six townships in and around Greater Boitekong in Rustenburg, North West, following three days of total blackout caused by the ongoing vandalism of electricity infrastructure.
Residents and businesses across several areas — including Boitekong extensions, Paardekraal, Ramochana, Sunrise Park, Sunrise View, and Popo Molefe — were left without power after criminals allegedly cut down electricity poles and stripped infrastructure.
Ward 21 Councillor and Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Local Economic Development at the Rustenburg Local Municipality, Thabang David Rampou, confirmed that power was restored after urgent engagements with relevant departments.
“This incident was reported to us in the early hours of Wednesday morning. As a local councillor, I immediately engaged the MMC for Infrastructure, Karabo Putu, and Eskom. It is heartbreaking because this destruction is committed by the very people who benefit from these services. They are targeting electricity conductors and cables,” said a disappointed Cllr. Rampou.
There are also unconfirmed reports suggesting that stolen material from the infrastructure in informal settlements such as Popo Molefe and Boitekong is being used to manufacture three-legged pots.
“We have reported the matter to the police and the municipal public safety department. What we’ve seen is that this criminal vandalism mostly occurs at night or in the early hours of the morning, particularly in isolated areas like Sunrise Park and behind the Popo Molefe informal settlement,” he added.
The vandalism caused widespread outages that disrupted essential services, including power supply to the local prison and rehabilitation facility, as well as Boitekong Mall and surrounding shopping complexes.
Rampou urged residents to report any suspicious activity to ensure swift intervention and assist in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Meanwhile, Eskom has reiterated that theft and vandalism of its infrastructure continue to pose a serious threat to reliable electricity supply and public safety.
