By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
22 February 2026- A man (24) was arrested for theft of cables during the persistent efforts of Olifantshoek Detectives and Visible Policing units, together with Provincial Proactive Policing. The incident resulted in a water outage in the town for nearly three weeks.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Colonel Cherelle Ehlers said on 21 February 2026, the police was executing duties under Operation Shanela 2, when they successfully traced and apprehended the suspect. Ehlers said he is expected to appear in Olifantshoek Magistrate’s Court on a charge of tampering with and damaging essential infrastructure.
“The safeguarding of essential infrastructure remains a priority for the SAPS in the Northern Cape. The police have reiterated their commitment to bringing the full might of the law against perpetrators of such crimes,” she said.
The Guardian 