Cape Town puts R8m cable theft bill on occupied Woodstock land as eviction fight drags on
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The City of Cape Town says repeated cable theft and vandalism around the Tide Street substation in Lower Woodstock has cost taxpayers about R8 million, damage it links to criminal activity near the unlawful occupation of Transnet-owned land.
Repeated cable theft and vandalism near an unlawful land occupation in Lower Woodstock is threatening electricity infrastructure in one of Cape Town's most gentrified suburbs, with the city putting the cost to taxpayers at around R8 million.
The City of Cape Town said the damage has targeted electrical infrastructure in and around the Tide Street substation, some of it brand new. The targeted equipment includes substations, cables, switchgear, control panels and transformers. The latest incident was reported on 2 November 2026.
The city links the incidents to criminal activity near the unlawful occupation of Transnet-owned land on the fringes of Lower Woodstock, a neighbourhood now home to coffee shops, bars, restaurants, supermarkets, art galleries and the Old Biscuit Mill market. Some damaged medium-voltage cables remain unfixed because shacks have been built over them, making repairs difficult.
"This situation is unacceptable, dangerous to the perpetrators and surrounding communities and a complete waste of public funds, as the damage has to be fixed repeatedly at great cost," the city said in a statement.
The theft and vandalism has also hit MyCiTi bus operations and infrastructure in the area. Streetlights along the MyCiTi route from the Culemborg Safe Spaces Shelter to Paarden Eiland remain out of order because of the damage. The municipality says the situation is "completely unsustainable", and that the estimated R8 million excludes labour and other repair-related costs.
All recent and historical incidents have been reported to the South African Police Service for investigation, and city law enforcement is monitoring the area while officials explore ways to better protect electrical infrastructure.
The land occupation has become the subject of an ongoing legal battle. Transnet secured an eviction order, but occupants appealed the ruling, suspending execution of the order, according to the city. The city and Transnet are challenging the ruling, citing risks to public safety, service delivery and electricity supplies to residential and commercial customers.