Johannesburg - Residents of Parkhill Gardens in Germiston woke up to the gruesome sight of the body of an alleged cable thief hanging on live overhead railway lines.
The man had been electrocuted while allegedly trying to steal railway line cables.
It's not known when he died but residents discovered the body on Wednesday morning and called the police.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Kay Makhubele said officers rushed to the scene but when they got there he was already dead.
"We have opened an inquest docket into what happened. We don't know who he is, where he's from and whether he was alone. We're busy trying to establish that," he said.
Metrorail stations have been deserted following Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula’s announcement that most commuter rail services would not be operating, in adherence with the lockdown regulations, and Joburg criminals have seemingly been taking advantage by stealing cables at some stations.
Gauteng Metrorail spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng said: “Currently we are experiencing a challenge with the security contract, which should be resolved soon.”
However, Mofokeng would not provide clarification on the challenge.
“We’re aware of this unfortunate escalation of theft and vandalism of stations and depots. Sadly, stations are being vandalised by criminals from the same communities we have a responsibility to serve," she said.
Last month some suburbs in the south of Joburg were left without power when a man was electrocuted while trying to climb an electricity tower.
That resulted in four City Power substations losing power.
It's not known why the man climbed the 88KV electricity tower, but it's suspected that he might have wanted to vandalise it.