Parts of Mthatha and Komani plunged into darkness

Two Eastern Cape municipalities battered by relentless attacks on electricity infrastructure have renewed calls for residents to help stop cable thieves and vandals after fresh incidents plunged parts of Komani and Mthatha into darkness this week.

In the latest attacks, electricity cables were stolen from a substation in Komani while two mini-substations were deliberately set alight in Mthatha’s Northcrest suburb.

Last year, the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, which includes Komani, said it had spent R11m in just three months replacing stolen electricity cables.

The King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality, under which Mthatha falls, has incurred more than R34m in repair costs since January after repeated attacks on transformers, kiosks and substations.

Enoch Mgijima spokesperson Sandiso Gcobo said Komani’s Queendustria electricity substation was vandalised on Tuesday night, resulting in widespread power outages.

“The stolen cables and damaged components form part of the substation’s electrical protection system, which safeguards the electricity network and enables the safe and reliable distribution of power.

“The full extent of the damage cannot be determined at this stage,” Gcobo said.

Municipal technical teams had been deployed while emergency procurement processes were under way to appoint specialist contractors to assess the damage and restore electricity safely.

Because the assessment had not been completed, the municipality was not in a position to say when power would be restored but warned residents to prepare for an extended outage.

The affected areas include Komani Park, Queensview Park, Laurie Dashwood Park, Sandringham, New Rest, the army base and Ezibeleni.

“The municipality understands the serious impact that a prolonged electricity interruption has on households, businesses and essential services,” Gcobo said.

“Every effort will be made to restore electricity as soon as it is safe and technically possible.”

The municipality had reported a criminal complaint to police.

Gcobo appealed to residents to report suspicious activity around substations, transformers and other municipal infrastructure.

“The theft and vandalism of municipal infrastructure places an additional financial burden on the municipality and its residents.

“Funds that should be applied to service delivery and community development must instead be redirected to replacing damaged infrastructure,” he said.

In 2025, a Komani businessman foiled a potentially devastating cable theft incident after spotting three men digging up electricity cables in Queendustria.

One suspect was arrested while two others escaped.

At the time, Enoch Mgijima mayor Madoda Papiyana called for authorities to dismantle the criminal syndicates behind cable theft.

“There is a thriving black market systematically dismantling what government has built for our people.

“That entire chain must be broken.

“Every time a cable is stolen or a transformer vandalised, it is our residents who suffer through power interruptions.

“This is not just theft, it is an attack on our community,” Papiyana said.

Communities and law enforcement must work together because, at this rate, we may find ourselves living in a ghost town

—  Komani businessman Sabelo Jayiya

Komani businessman Sabelo Jayiya warned this week that continued power disruptions could have devastating economic consequences.

“Business production gets affected and compromises deliverables.

“Komani will be seen as unreliable and clients may look elsewhere.

“Businesses may close or relocate, worsening unemployment,” he said.

Jayiya asked why critical electricity infrastructure remained poorly secured and called for tighter regulation of the scrap metal industry.

“There needs to be constant monitoring of scrap metal businesses nationally.

“Communities and law enforcement must work together because, at this rate, we may find ourselves living in a ghost town.

“If these outages continue, they will also affect water supply.”

In Mthatha, the King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality confirmed that two mini-substations in upper Northcrest had been deliberately torched, causing another major power outage.

The sabotage was discovered on Tuesday.

Mayoral spokesperson Olwethu Mabovula said police had opened a criminal case.

“We are appealing to residents to assist by reporting these incidents because they are happening in front of their homes.

“It becomes a huge challenge when they happen and no-one sees anything or anyone,” she said.

She apologised to the affected residents for the disruption and said the municipality was not yet in a position to indicate when the supply of electricity would be restored.

The municipality previously estimated that it spent about R20m each year repairing electricity infrastructure damaged by vandals and thieves, further straining already stretched municipal finances.

Daily Dispatch