Five men were arrested following an armed robbery at the City of Tshwane electricity depot in Forsig, Pretoria West, on Thursday, 14 May 2026. The suspects were arrested by the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) Region 3 Sector 1 officers together with the Cable Theft Unit after they allegedly stormed the depot, held security guards hostage and stole rolls of electricity cables.
According to information released by TMPD, officers responded after receiving reports of an armed robbery in progress at the municipal depot. Upon arrival, officers found security guards visibly distressed after being threatened and held hostage by armed suspects.
The suspects reportedly arrived at the depot in three trucks, loaded stolen electricity cables, and fled the scene.
TMPD officers launched a pursuit operation using descriptions of the vehicles involved. One of the trucks was intercepted on Roslyn Road, where three suspects were arrested. Officers also recovered two illegal firearms and a stolen cable roll from the vehicle.
Police investigations later led officers to another truck that allegedly fled towards Soshanguve. Two more suspects were arrested, and six stolen cable rolls were recovered. Officers also seized a white Nissan NP200 believed to have been used as an escort vehicle during the robbery.
The five suspects now face charges of armed robbery, theft and possession of illegal firearms. The crime scene remained active on Thursday as investigations continued.
Residents expressed growing concern over the increasing number of cable theft incidents in Tshwane and the impact such crimes have on communities and infrastructure.
“This is becoming a serious problem because cable theft affects electricity supply and puts people’s lives at risk,” said a Pretoria West resident.
Another resident, Lerato Maseko, said criminals targeting municipal infrastructure continue to create fear in communities.
“It is shocking that security guards were held hostage just so criminals could steal cables. These syndicates are becoming more dangerous,” she said.
Small business owner Sipho Nkosi said infrastructure crimes ultimately affect ordinary citizens.
“When cables are stolen, businesses lose money during outages, and taxpayers end up paying for repairs. Something needs to change,” he said.
TMPD Chief Commissioner YCR Faro visited the scene and praised officers for their swift response and bravery during the operation.
Attempts were made to obtain additional comment from the TMPD spokesperson regarding the investigation and possible links to organised cable theft syndicates, but no response was received by the time of publication.
