Friends of Zoo Lake Take Action After Another Cable Theft

Photo Credit: Friends of Zoo Lake

The park is taking practical steps to protect its infrastructure while asking visitors to help keep an eye out for suspicious activity.

Johannesburg, South Africa (02 October 2026) – Friends of Zoo Lake are trying to stay one step ahead of cable thieves after another break-in left parts of the park damaged.

The latest incident happened overnight, with thieves targeting the old pedestrian lights around the lake and damaging several metres of paving in the process.

It’s not the first time the park has had to deal with this problem. Since July, the same lights have been targeted repeatedly, with thieves returning four or five times to strip out copper wiring.

But rather than simply repairing the damage and waiting for it to happen again, the team is now looking at how the redundant infrastructure can be dealt with safely.

A private electrician was brought in to inspect the lights around the entire lake and check whether any of the old wiring is still live.

The assessment is an important first step in determining whether the unused lights can eventually be removed, potentially taking away another opportunity for thieves to target the park.

And the stolen cables are only part of the problem.

The thefts can leave paving torn up, gardens damaged, and other infrastructure in need of attention, creating extra work for the volunteers and park staff who already spend their time caring for the space.

It also comes with a financial cost.

Money that has to be spent fixing vandalism is money that could otherwise go towards improving Zoo Lake and making it an even better space for the community.

For now, the team is asking visitors to help keep an eye out.

Anyone who spots suspicious activity or vandalism at Zoo Lake can send a DM so that the relevant authorities can be alerted.

And for those who want to help with the bigger picture, one-off donations can support the ongoing work to preserve and beautify the park. Follow the link here.