Telkom cable theft wreaks network havoc: pictures

On 19 June 2013, cable thieves cut and removed several main Telkom cables, causing major service disruptions to Telkom services in the Ferndale and Strydom Park, Randburg area. This is the second incident of theft in these areas in as many weeks. In total, 2,173 business, corporate and residential customers were affected.

Intrepid MyGaming forum member, Michael Kruger went down to the scene of the theft to see the damage for himself. The incident occurred near Fabriek Street, Strydom Park, Randburg. Thieves accessed the underground cables through manholes adjacent to the Jukskei river.

“It was one huge mess. The thieves really spent time there tearing the cabling out the ground and proceeded to flood one of the manholes, leaving the technicians with no other choice but to run the cables over the river above the ground, therefore exposing the repair project,” said Kruger.

“It looked like the thieves got into the manholes on both ends of the river and hacked away at the cabling – as you can see [in the pictures below], along the riverbed are remnants of the older pipes torn apart and what is left of the old cables.”

Telkom cable theft repairs – Strydom Park 24-02-13 – image 5

Theo Hess, Telkom Managing Executive for Network Field Services, has previously stated that Telkom is combating cable theft by “Pro-actively alarming critical and sensitive cable routes and employing services of armed security firms.”

“When I arrived at the site, the only security personnel in the area was a lone gentleman guard, but there was no indication that he was armed to protect the repair project,” said Kruger. “All in all, it looks like the full repairs could take up to two weeks to fix – it’s that bad.”

: Telkom cable theft repairs – Strydom Park 24-02-13 – image 5

Combating copper cable theft

“Copper cable theft remains a major inhibitor to Telkom’s capability to maintain and improve service levels. We appeal to customers in this area to be on high alert and to report any suspicious activity to Telkom,” said Hess.

Telkom 24 hour crime/fraud hotline number: 0860 124 000

Hess explained that in Telkom’s ongoing efforts to counter the scourge of copper cable theft, it has adopted various interventions, which include, but are not limited to, the following:

Proactively alarming critical and sensitive cable routes and employing services of armed security firms.
Deploying various wireless technologies that are alternatives to copper.
Assessing vulnerable aerial cable routes; where feasible these are buried underground.
Working closely with the Non-Ferrous Theft Combating Committee (NFTCC) under the auspices of Business Against Crime and the South African Police Services, to jointly find ways of protecting our cable network.
Implementing a national campaign to raise awareness of the Company’s toll-free crime-report line (0800 124 000) as the co-operation and support of all communities is vital in stamping out cable theft. All members of the public are urged to assist Telkom by making use of this number if they see any suspicious activities.