A cable thief died a shocking death on Monday night.
He was electrocuted while trying to cut high voltage cables on the railway line near Nyanga Junction.
According to a police source, the man had been arrested for cable theft before, and is part of a syndicate in Manenberg, which targets the Central Line.
The source says the dief tried to steal the cables, believing there was no electrical current as Metrorail had suspended the line earlier in the day due to theft.
“We received a tip-off about the guy that had climbed the pole and was trying to cut the overhead cables.
“He is part of syndicate in Renoster Walk and they like to target that line.
“The weekend they stole cables and Metrorail had to suspend the service but this ou and his friends thought there was no current.
“ He is mos ’n klein outjie and can climb the pole lekker quick, so he climbed up and they waited at the bottom.
“Then he shocked himself vrek and all his friends spat.
“That guy was in his chops hanging there. We know him very well, they like to take the copper to a scrapyard in Lansdowne.”
ELECTROCUTED: Manenberg cable thief has a shocking end. Picture: Leon Knipe
Police spokesperson, Siyabulela Malo, confirms the incident and says Manenberg cops have registered an inquest docket after the body of a 23-year-old man was found shortly after 9pm.
“According to reports, police members attended the scene and they found the victim electrocuted and he was declared dead on the scene,” he said.
Metrorail spokesperson, Riana Scott, confirms the train service along the Central Line was temporarily grounded due to the theft of overhead wire.