A man has died after he was found inside a medium-voltage electrical chamber at Booysens Reserve in Johannesburg in what City Power suspects was an attempted cable theft incident. City Power personnel responded to reports from members of the public at approximately 09:20 on Thursday, 22 October 2026, after the man was discovered unresponsive inside the electrical facility near the corner of Mentz Street and Booysens Reserve. Upon arrival, the team found that the chamber’s main access door had allegedly been forced open, with visible damage to the locking mechanisms. The deceased was found inside the chamber with a cable-cutting tool in his possession.
Preliminary investigations also revealed signs of tampering with electrical infrastructure, including a severed neutral conductor, damaged lighting and disturbed electrical cables. As a precaution, City Power isolated the affected electrical infrastructure to secure the scene, resulting in a temporary electricity supply interruption to nine load centres in Booysens Reserve.
Power was restored to all affected customers on Thursday afternoon after the South African Police Service (SAPS) completed its investigation and cleared the scene for City Power technicians to undertake the necessary restoration work. The incident has once again highlighted the deadly consequences of tampering with electricity infrastructure, with similar incidents resulting in fatalities, severe injuries and power disruptions across Johannesburg.
Growing concern over cable theft and infrastructure vandalism
City Power has expressed concern over the continued incidents of cable theft and vandalism, warning that electrical chambers, substations and underground cable networks carry dangerously high voltages capable of causing severe burns, permanent injuries or instant death. The latest fatality follows several similar incidents reported across the city this year. In September 2026, a suspected cable thief sustained severe burns while allegedly attempting to steal cables inside underground tunnels supplying the Central Substation. The individual remains in a critical condition in hospital, according to City Power.
On 26 February 2026, another suspect was fatally electrocuted while allegedly attempting to cut a medium-voltage cable at Manufacta Substation in Roodepoort. That incident disrupted electricity supply to several communities, including Roodepoort West, Lindhaven, Witpoortjie, Manufacta, Reefhaven and Westgate. In another incident on 1 May 2026, a suspect was found trapped inside a mini substation in Fleurhof, Roodepoort, while allegedly attempting to vandalise electrical infrastructure. The individual was safely removed and arrested, while electricity supply was temporarily interrupted to facilitate the rescue operation.
At the time, City Power had recorded three incidents of mini-substation vandalism in Fleurhof during April alone. The recurring incidents have raised concerns about the risks posed by unlawful interference with critical electricity infrastructure, not only to those involved but also to surrounding communities and emergency personnel who may be exposed to dangerous conditions during rescue operations.
Residents urged to report suspicious activities
City Power has strongly condemned the continued theft and vandalism of its infrastructure, emphasising that no cable or piece of electrical equipment is worth the loss of human life. The entity has called on residents to work closely with law enforcement agencies to protect critical infrastructure and prevent further fatalities and electricity disruptions. Communities are urged to report suspicious activities around substations, electrical chambers and other essential infrastructure, including unauthorised access to restricted areas, people tampering with electrical equipment, damaged access doors and individuals carrying cables or cutting tools in these environments.
Suspicious activities can be reported to City Power’s Security Risk Management Control Room on 011 490 7900, 011 490 7911 or 011 490 7553. Residents can also report incidents via WhatsApp on 083 579 4497. City Power has apologised to customers affected by the temporary outage in Booysens Reserve and reiterated the importance of community cooperation in safeguarding electricity infrastructure.
The entity continues to warn that cable theft and vandalism threaten public safety, undermine the reliability of electricity supply and impose additional costs on the city, ultimately affecting households, businesses and essential services. Residents are encouraged to remain vigilant and report suspected criminal activity rather than approach or attempt to intervene in potentially dangerous electrical environments.