Latest news with #Kruyshaar
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Hercules cable theft suspects arrested after alert resident tips off police
An armed robbery at a storage site west of Pretoria has led to arrests, after community vigilance and a rapid response from both police and private security helped intercept stolen goods. Three suspects are in police custody after stealing about R1.5-million worth of cables from a municipal storage depot in Hercules. The robbery took place on July 28, when four armed men stormed the depot and held the four on-duty security officers at gunpoint. The security officers were tied up, their mobile phones confiscated, and they were taken to the back of the building, where two of the suspects guarded them. 'The remaining two suspects moved to the front of the building and were later joined by additional accomplices. Two trucks arrived on the scene and began loading electrical cables, with an estimated value of R1.5-million,' said SAPS spokesperson, Captain Johan van Dyk. Van Dyk said thanks to a vigilant community member, who saw the suspicious activity and immediately alerted the Hercules SAPS, two patrol vehicles, along with private security guards, responded swiftly and began searching for the trucks. One of the trucks, accompanied by a silver BMW, was located in Bremer Street. As SAPS officers intercepted the vehicles, the suspects tried to flee on foot. A chase ensued, resulting in the successful arrest of three suspects. After finding and searching the truck, police recovered a large quantity of electrical and copper cables, as well as three pairs of gloves. A search of the BMW yielded seven Mandrax tablets and false number plates. The arrested suspects have been charged with business robbery and possession of suspected stolen property. An investigation is continuing to identify and trace other suspects. Ward 1 councillor Leon Kruyshaar believes the suspects fled into a nearby informal settlement when intercepted by the police, and that the perpetrators are members of a larger syndicate responsible for cable theft in the area. 'As you know, cable theft is quite a continuous issue in our area. They have been stealing cables for the longest time, and not only have they been stealing from our ports, but they've also been stealing the cables underground,' said Kruyshaar. 'There are trenches they dig in the middle of the night and steal them [cables]. Overhead cables as well, the theft of municipal infrastructure is just out of hand in our area, and an arrest like this is exactly what we need. 'The criminals need to know that we are not just going to sit back; eventually, they'll be caught. It takes time, it takes a lot of investigations and so forth, but they are curbing this. 'Probably not at the rate that we want, because the price of copper is currently at R170 a kilogram, so the theft will continue, but we'll do everything we can to stop this.' Kruyshaar expressed his gratitude for the authorities' efforts, as he said that cable theft is an issue that won't stop in his ward. Residents with any information regarding the fourth suspect or anyone else involved with the crime are asked to contact their local authorities. SAPS urges the public to remain alert and to report any suspicious activity or information that may assist ongoing investigations. Tip-offs can be reported anonymously via Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or through the MySAPS App. Watch: Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
The Citizen
22-07-2025
- The Citizen
Man arrested over tampering of power lines in Elandspoort
Man arrested over tampering of power lines in Elandspoort Ward 1 councillor, Leon Kruyshaar, has expressed his concern at the ongoing spate of cable theft incidents in the west of Pretoria. This follows the arrest of a 33-year-old suspected of tampering with municipal infrastructure by the Tshwane Metro Police Department's (TMPD) cable theft unit. According to a social media post by the TMPD, said a man was apprehended in Elandspoort in the west of Pretoria, after receiving a tip-off on July 19. 'TMPD members responded to a complaint in Elandspoort. Upon arrival, a suspect was found in the act of tampering with essential infrastructure.' The suspect was arrested and detained at a local police station. Kruyshaar said cable theft continued to be a recurring struggle for the west of Pretoria. He reported that on Van Der Hoff Road near the Zandfontein Substation, four feeders were reported to be down on July 21. 'It's just almost no chance that four feeders go down at the same time. Maybe one, but not four. 'These cables have been stolen on numerous occasions. Just in the last month, I think this is the fourth time they've been stolen. 'This matter needs to be escalated to the cable theft team. We need to make this a priority, stop the cable theft in this area, because it's really an inconvenience to consumers and factories in the area. 'Those who don't have generators either have to close down for the day or work with the inconvenience and suffer financial losses,' Kruyshaar said. Estimations are that South Africa loses more than R500-million every year due to cable theft and vandalism of municipal infrastructure. Residents can report any suspicious behaviour to 012 358 7095/6. Watch here: Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Daspoort tunnel to be closed for weekend maintenance
Daspoort tunnel to be closed for weekend maintenance The Tshwane metro has advised motorists that the Daspoort tunnel will be undergoing maintenance on June 21 and 22. Bremer Street will be closed between Deborah and Market streets from 08:00 until 16:00 on both days. Toward the end of April, MMC for Roads and Transport Tlangi Mogale led a similar effort. The work entailed filling potholes, cleaning stormwater drains and other repairs. Ward 1 councillor Leon Kruyshaar, who has said that the tunnel is synonymous with several issues, urged motorists to avoid the tunnel this weekend as much as they could. 'Please do not think you can use this tunnel on Saturday and Sunday, it will definitely be closed up. They may allow access in the evening, but I can tell you for sure, not between 08:00 and late afternoon,' Kruyshaar said. Motorists are advised to use alternative routes, such as the following: – Es'kia Mphahlele Drive – Van Der Hoff Road – The R80 – N4 Magalies Freeway. Stakeholders have apologised to residents for the inconvenience. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
02-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Region 3 residents unhappy with ‘lacklustre' service delivery
Residents of Region 3 expressed their frustration over the poor service delivery in their area during their Integrated Development Plan (IDP) consultation session. The metro has been holding participatory meetings for residents to comment on the draft of the reviewed 2025/26 Tshwane IDP. 'The plans must reflect what the city envisions, what the developments need for yourselves as the community, and what the service delivery priorities are. We also have to look at what our economic growth goals are and what the financial legalities are,' Transport MMC Tlangi Mogale explained. 'I'm hoping that most of you would have an appreciation of what the financial reality of the city currently looks like,' she added. Mogale apologised to the gathered residents for the postponement as the meeting was supposed to take place on April 15. Instead, they met on April 26 at the Danville Clinic (Pretoria West). She said that since the new administration came into office six months ago, they set targets and objectives with themselves, though their current budget has been a challenge. 'The biggest problems we have had to encounter, which contributed to many of our service delivery variables not being achieved, are because of the financial state the city finds itself in. So number one of our priorities was that we needed to stabilise our finances. We do that through smart spending and stronger revenue collection,' Mogale said. Mogale said that a stronger grip on the city's finances would boost economic revitalisation and investment. She called on residents to join the fight and not solely rely on the government. 'As much as city officials have responsibilities, they are paid to do the work, community members must also meet us halfway. Let's do our part, especially regarding issues like illegal dumping and protecting our infrastructure,' Mogale said. Ward 1 councillor Leon Kruyshaar said, however, that the current administration is merely playing the blame game while results on the ground remain lacklustre. 'The community was upset because of the lack of services. They felt they played their part in the levies and utilities bills required by Tshwane, but they didn't see their money being used. Kruyshaar said the metro used the new budget as an excuse and blamed it on the last eight years of DA rule. 'They failed to mention that they had taken sizable portions of the budget from every portfolio to finance the increase in security services and water tankers instead of delivering crucial services to the residents. The fact that workers' overtime was limited now and a no-work Sunday order was implemented by the current administration under ActionSA was blamed on the auditor general,' Kruyshaar said. He described the meeting as merely a reading out of planned projects, none of which were in his ward, which he said needed several interventions. He proposed that they add the complete resurfacing of both Van der Hoff Road and Moot Street, and the refurbishment and the infrastructure upgrade of the water and electricity reticulation networks in my ward, especially Pretoria-Gardens and Mountain View. 'Gomsand and Zandfontein substations also need upgrading, especially when considering the increase in developments in the area. Traffic calming measures and signage are to be installed. We would also like to see a community safety centre that hosts TMPD and private security,' Kruyshaar said. Watch here: Residents of Tshwane have until the 5th of May to submit their submissions ,written submissions ,before the Council adopt proposed IDP on the 29 May.#TshwaneAtWork #Bastrata — Tlangi Mogale: CoT MMC for Roads&Transport 🇿🇦 (@tlangimich) April 26, 2025 Residents who wish to comment on these documents can submit their comments in writing by May 5 at 15:00 before the council adopts the IDP on May 29. Send an email to idpcomments@ or hand-deliver comments to the IDP comments box at the reception desk, Ground Floor, Tshwane House, 320 Madiba Street, Pretoria. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
