Eastern Cape businesswoman nabbed in copper cable bust
· Citizen
A 29‑year‑old Eastern Cape businesswoman has been arrested after Hawks investigators allegedly caught her transferring thousands of rands worth of stolen copper cables and an electrical component stripped from a municipal mini‑substation.
The suspect was arrested on Sunday, 6 September 2026, in Mthatha by members of the Mthatha Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI), working in collaboration with the King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Law Enforcement.
Visit afsport.lat for more information.
Intelligence
According to the Hawks, the investigation followed intensive intelligence the joint team received about a Toyota GD-6 allegedly used to transport copper cables at Phola Park in Mthatha.
Acting on the information, law enforcement officials proceeded to the identified location, where they allegedly observed the businesswoman transferring material from a red container into a Toyota GD-6.
Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said officials intervened and searched the vehicle.
“During the search, a quantity of copper cables was allegedly found inside the vehicle. The suspect was subsequently arrested, and a case of possession of suspected stolen property was registered,” he said.
Components
The investigation led the team to identify an aluminium-steel electrical component that was allegedly removed from one of the Eastern Cape municipality’s electricity mini-substations.
“The operation resulted in the recovery and seizure of copper cables with an estimated value of R36 000, a Toyota GD-6 allegedly used to transport the suspected stolen material, and an aluminium-steel electrical component estimated to have a black-market value of approximately R25 000,” Mhlakuvana said.
Court
Mhlakuvana added that a representative from the KSD Electricity Department subsequently identified the recovered material.
“Preliminary identification established that the material was consistent with electrical infrastructure belonging to the Municipality,” Mhlakuvana said.
The suspect was scheduled to make her first appearance before the Mthatha Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where she was expected to face a charge of possession of suspected stolen property.