You Won’t Believe What Happened Next: Cable Thief Caught on CCTV in Cape Town!
In a striking display of brazen theft, CCTV footage shared by anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee has captured two men in red shirts stealing a cable from a streetlight pole in a Cape Town residential area. The footage, recorded at night, shows one man standing on the shoulders of another as they cut the cable, while a passing car fails to intervene.
This incident underscores ongoing concerns surrounding cable theft in Cape Town. Reports from the City of Cape Town earlier in March 2026 indicated that numerous electricity outages in the area likely stem from such vandalism. In a particularly egregious case in 2022, the city lost R6 million due to theft related to high-voltage infrastructure.
The public’s reaction to the video has been one of frustration and anger at the perceived impunity of criminals. Many comments express discontent with the gaps in police surveillance and call for action against alleged foreign criminals involved in these thefts. In 2024 alone, data revealed that approximately 1.7 tons of stolen metal was recovered, suggesting a systemic issue with commodity theft.
As the city grapples with these challenges, officials and community members are left to ponder solutions to enhance safety and deter further criminal activities in their neighborhoods.
