Man Arrested After Getting Trapped While Attempting To Vandalise Mini Substation In Fleurhof

A man has been arrested after he was discovered trapped inside a mini substation in Fleurhof, west of Johannesburg.

The incident occurred on Thursday morning after private security alerted City Power to suspicious activity at a site in Roodepoort.

According to City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena, the individual was found inside a mini substation at the corner of Turtlehurt Street and Helpmekaar Road.

“An individual, who was not working alone, was discovered inside a mini substation located at the corner of Turtlehurt Street and Helpmekaar Road, within the Roodepoort Service Delivery Centre area, supplied from Fleurhof Switching Station,” he said.

Mangena confirmed the suspect became stuck while allegedly attempting to vandalise the infrastructure.

Power Cut as Rescue Operation, Suspect Arrested

Emergency teams had to follow strict safety procedures to extract the suspect, a process that proved complex and caused additional damage to the substation.

As a precaution, electricity supply to parts of Fleurhof was temporarily switched off during the operation.

“Supply will be restored once the network has been declared safe,” Mangena said.

The suspect was safely removed from the structure and taken into police custody.

City Power also commended private security for their role in reporting the incident promptly.

“City Power extends its appreciation to private security for their vigilance and continued support in identifying and reporting such criminal activities in all our service operations.”

Spike in Substation Vandalism Costs City Millions

The arrest comes amid a surge in infrastructure vandalism across Roodepoort.

City Power revealed that 16 mini substations have been vandalised since January, with each incident costing between R700 000 and R800 000, excluding labour.

Thursday’s case marks the third such incident in Fleurhof during April alone.

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Authorities believe a syndicate is behind the coordinated attacks, with several suspects still at large.

“Police are on track to apprehend additional suspects linked to this and other incidents,” Mangena said.

He explained that vandals often access substations from the rear, damaging equipment to cause oil leaks and overheating, which forces shutdowns and creates opportunities for theft.

While the affected substation in this case had not yet been energised, City Power warned that ongoing vandalism has already caused outages in surrounding areas.

“All 16 incidents have been formally reported to the South African Police Service and are currently awaiting investigation outcomes,” Mangena added.

A full technical assessment of the damaged unit is still underway.

“The MSS involved in this incident has sustained extensive damage,” he said.