City Power staff allegedly involved in substation theft

JOHANNESBURG - City Power suspects an inside job led to the theft of an entire mini-substation.

It was found 10 years after it was reported stolen.

The 11 kilowatt mini-substation disappeared from the utility’s Booysens premises in 2014.

Utility spokesperson Isaac Mangena says internal staff must have been involved.

READ: Crime in SA | Mini-substation recovered after a decade

"The mini-substation is used to connect from the City Power network and into the business. This is the box that you would normally find on the corner of the street," he said.

"It's used to convert the higher voltage of electricity.

"This kind of theft does not happen without the internal involvement of people."

The cost of the substation is estimated at R400,000.They also found a 1 kilometre connecting cable worth R900,000.