Some 3 000 Telkom residential, corporate and business customers in Pretoria have had fixed-line services disrupted due to cable theft, Telkom said in a statement today.
Early this morning,cable thieves opened two manholes close to the Akasia exchange and cut eleven main and direct feed cables, making off with approximately 363m of cable, it said.
Customers with the exchange code (012) 549 in Akasia, Karenpark, Chantelle, Amandasig, Orchards and Clarina are without services, as well as large shopping centres and a number of medical centres in the area.
Telkom says it has deployed several teams working around the clock to restore service to the affected areas as soon as possible. Services are expected to be progressively reinstated from Wednesday next week.
Affected customers will qualify for pro-rata rebates on their line rentals.
The theft has been reported to the Police as well as the company's internal security and an investigation is underway, it says.
Theo Hess, Telkom managing executive for Network Field Services says cable theft remains a major inhibitor to Telkom's capability to maintain and improve service levels. "We appeal to customers in this area to be on high alert and to report any suspicious activity to the Telkom 24-hour crime/fraud hotline number on 0860 124 000," he says.
Hess noted various interventions have been adopted in an effort to counter the scourge of copper cable theft, including alarming critical and sensitive cable routes, employing services of armed security firms and working closely with the Non-Ferrous Theft Combating Committee (NFTCC) under the auspices of Business Against Crime and the South African Police Service.
He says Telkom is also deploying various wireless technologies that are alternatives to copper and assessing vulnerable aerial cable routes and, where feasible, burying these underground.
A national campaign has been implemented to raise awareness of the company's toll-free crime-report line as the co-operation and support of all communities is vital in stamping out cable theft, says Hess. "All members of the public are urged to assist Telkom by making use of this number if they see any suspicious activities."
The SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry's May report showed the incidence of copper theft has hit an all-time low, with the Copper Theft Barometer showing the lowest level since its inception in 2010.
The Copper Theft Barometer decreased to R9 million in May - down from R9.9 million in April and R10 million in March.
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