A record 21 people were convicted of cable theft and infrastructure crimes in Johannesburg between January and March 2026, accounting for nearly 60% of all convictions recorded during the entire 2025/26 financial year. Yet the full-year picture is far less dramatic, with annual convictions inching up from 35 in 2024/25 to just 36 in 2025/26.

City Power says progress in bringing offenders to justice is thanks to strengthened security strategies, increased court participation by personnel (130 court appearances in 2025/26), and tighter collaboration with law enforcement and prosecutors. Those convicted face a combined 261.5 years in prison, at an average of 7.3 years per suspect.

The utility is also focusing its attention on illegal connections, with the number doubling year-on-year, from 1,157 to 2,551.

Overall infrastructure incidents such as cable theft and vandalism dropped from 1,138 to 1,054. But infrastructure damage remains a continuous disruption, averaging nearly three incidents every single day.

Produced in partnership with Our City News.