Roodepoort, West Rand – A man was found trapped inside a mini substation at the corner of Turtlehurt Street and Helpmekaar Road in the Fleurhof area of Roodepoort earlier today while attempting to damage electrical infrastructure.
Private security alerted City Power shortly after 08:00 on Friday, 1 May 2026, after discovering the individual inside the substation. City Power teams responded to the scene, safely removed the man, and handed him over to the police for arrest.1
According to City Power, the suspect was not acting alone. Police are pursuing additional suspects believed to be linked to the incident. The mini substation is located within the Roodepoort Service Delivery Centre area and is supplied from the Fleurhof Switching Station.
As a safety precaution during the rescue and subsequent repair operation, electricity supply to parts of Fleurhof was temporarily switched off. Power is expected to be restored once City Power declares the network safe.
This incident forms part of a broader pattern of organised vandalism targeting electrical infrastructure in the Roodepoort area. City Power has indicated that the utility has been tracking coordinated criminal activity in the region since December.
The event marks the third mini substation vandalised in Fleurhof during April 2026 alone. Since the beginning of the year, a total of 16 mini substations have been targeted across Roodepoort. Replacement costs for each unit are estimated at between R700,000 and R800,000, excluding labour. All 16 incidents have been formally reported to the South African Police Service.11
Vandalism of this nature typically involves attempts to access and remove copper components and other valuable materials from the substations, which can lead to significant damage to the electrical network, prolonged outages, and increased repair expenses for the utility and, ultimately, residents.
City Power has previously highlighted the strain that repeated attacks on mini substations place on response times and infrastructure maintenance in areas including Fleurhof, Lea Glen, and surrounding suburbs. The utility continues to urge residents to report any suspicious activity around electrical infrastructure to assist in curbing further incidents.
No further details on the identity of the arrested man or the specific charges have been released at this stage, as the police investigation is ongoing.
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