Suspected thief burnt at Germiston substation 'lucky to be alive'

A ward councillor who was the first on the scene when a substation in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, was damaged on Thursday as a result of alleged cable theft described how a man's shoes melted on the floor.

“He is extremely lucky to be alive,” said Ekurhuleni councillor for the area Kade Guerreiro on Friday.

The man was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Tambo Memorial Hospital in Boksburg on Thursday afternoon with burn wounds all over his body.

Guerreiro said a resident phoned him on Thursday afternoon and informed him that there were people inside the Wychwood substation.

“There was a big bang. The man we found close to the substation had been badly burnt as he tried to steal the cable. An accomplice ran away,” said Guerreiro.

He said the damage to the substation had been estimated at R2m.

“The man sustained extremely bad burns. It is a warning to people who want to commit these crimes.

“One of the things that shocked people is to see his melted shoes still stuck to the floor. The man is lucky to be alive."

Guerreiro said the damage occurred when the men tried to cut copper cables inside the substation.

“He was trying to get the copper cables.

"One of the electricians likened the pain the man felt to someone cooking themselves inside a microwave - that is the extent of the power the man felt."

Guerreiro said a criminal case had been opened. “We managed to get Primrose police station to assist us. They are doing a manhunt for the other suspect."

The attempted theft meant seven areas around Germiston were without power for about six hours on Thursday, including Primrose and Malvern East.

“A big thank you to the Ekurhuleni power technicians because around midnight, everything was fixed and power was restored,” said Guerreiro, adding that the City of Ekurhuleni spent millions every year to fix damage to substations.

He said security at the substation was lax and there were no security guards at many substations.

“There is not even a hi-tech locking system ... It is very easy for criminals to break the locks and enter the premises."