Four alleged ATM scammers have been arrested in Cape Town. According to Kevin Jacobs from Cape Town Traffic, the suspects were detained during a routine traffic stop in Tokai. Traffic officers had stopped the vehicle earlier this week on the Main Road, after officers discovered the vehicle was fitted with false number plates.

Four alleged ATM scammers have been arrested in Cape Town

Jacobs says further investigation led to the arrest of the occupants. They face charges in connection with possession of stolen property, fraud, and ATM scamming. He says preliminary probes have linked the suspects to crimes committed in Table view on 13 May 2026. These cases involved incidents of alleged scamming, fraud and theft.

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Jacobs says the suspects were travelling in a white Kia Sonet when officers found several exhibits inside the vehicle. He says they confiscated eight bank cards, four cell phones, one false identification document, four false number plates, and two two-way radios. Jacobs says the four suspects are aged 51, 37, 38 and 26 years. Following the incident, they were detained at Kirstenhof SAPS.

Residents in the Western Cape whose neighbourhoods were plunged into darkness or where there were other electrical faults, due to inclement weather earlier this week, are urged to remain patient and to expect restoration times to take longer than usual.  

The City of Cape Town’s Energy Directorate said it received more than 10,800 service requests since Monday. While the heavy rains and winds have since passed, teams remain on the ground repairing to assess the damage and carry out repair work. The City said more than 6,000 repairs have been carried out across the metropole thus far. 

The City’s Mayoral Committee Member, Xanthea Limberg, said all available teams have been dispatched. 

“Our efforts continue and City teams fixed 6,221 storm related electricity faults out of 10,878 service requests across all areas. Our teams remain on the ground and are continuing to work across all areas to attend to all remaining requests,” said Limberg. 

The southern region recorded the highest number of electricity-related complaints, with 4,760 service requests logged, followed by the northern region with 3,817 and the eastern region with 2,302. With that said, these figures are from Wednesday afternoon – the City advised that the figures often fluctuate due to new requests and others being resolved.  

Limberg added that restoration efforts have been delayed in some areas due to the scale of the destruction and the complexity of repairs.  

In several instances, damaged infrastructure has had to be completely replaced rather than simply turning the power back on. 

“Several areas have already been restored, and our teams are attending to the remaining outstanding requests as a matter of urgency,” said Limberg. 

Further to this, Limberg warned against logging the same service request multiple times, because that may cause further delays. 

“We urge members of the public not to log multiple service requests for the same issue, as this creates duplication, increases administrative lead times, and further delays our response.” 

At the same time, the City also urged the public to avoid exposed electrical infrastructure, including downed power lines, and to report hazards immediately through official service channels. 

“Please report these incidents to the City [through official service channels] and our teams will attend to them as quickly and safely as possible.” 

Meanwhile, technical teams with Eskom in the Western Cape are also facing significant challenges in addressing electrical faults.

The power utility on Thursday morning noted teams were still working to restore power in several areas in the Cape Winelands/Boland region, the Garden Route, Overberg/Overstrand and the West Coast.

“While the inclement weather has subsided in some areas, the aftermath of heavy rainfall, strong winds and flooding presents significant challenges with additional faults still being reported. Damaged infrastructure is currently being rebuilt to restore supply to affected customers. In some areas construction activities are delayed due to damaged roads and flooding limiting access to Eskom infrastructure.”

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Cape Town Fire and Rescue teams are expected to spend the next three days assisting Breede Valley communities in remote farming and mountainous areas that have been trapped by floodwaters.

A specialised rescue convoy left Cape Town on Wednesday afternoon, carrying rescue boats, inflatables, jet skis and technical rescue equipment.

The team also includes certified rescue technicians, divers and a drone unit.

The Breede Valley Municipality reached out to the City for help, as their resources were stretched thin.

They assembled at the Worcester Fire Station yesterday. City drones will be flying over the valley today, Thursday, 14 May, to determine the extent of the need, while diving units will start searching for people who have been reported missing in rivers.

Cape Town Fire Chief Clinton Manuel says heavy rain has led to masses of water flowing down from the mountains in the Breede Valley, leading to surging water levels and local rivers below overflowing.

NSRI rescue teams also remain active across the Western Cape as more reports of people trapped by floodwaters are received.

Teams responded to multiple flood emergencies across the province on Tuesday, including Citrusdal, Hermanus, Agulhas and Melkbosstrand.

Among those rescued were 8 families in Gouda, who were trapped along the Kleinberg River.

Emergency teams from the NSRI, SAPS and local municipalities reached the stranded group on Wednesday morning after days of heavy rain and freezing conditions. 49 people, including men, women and children, were evacuated safely.

Meanwhile, in the Cederberg, a humanitarian flight will deliver aid to hundreds of families in Wupperthal, who have been cut off by floodwaters.

Western Cape disaster response teams remain on high alert across the province, with officials warning that the Breede River remains in flood, while the Clanwilliam Dam is over capacity with all sluices open.

Residents are being urged to avoid flooded roads and low-water crossings as emergency services remain fully mobilised.

At least 10 weather-related deaths have been reported since 6 May, including at least four fatalities caused by falling trees, and the tragic death of three people, whose bodies were retrieved from floodwaters, on a farm between Rawsonville and Worcester.

The Western Cape Department of Social Development has called on the private sector and the general public who are in a position to assist, to support relief NPOs as they respond to the weather-related disaster.

DSD funds five humanitarian relief organisations – Mustadafin Foundation, The Salvation Army, Community Chest of the Western Cape, Al-Imdaad Foundation, and For Afrika – to provide post-disaster support. These organisations can be supported either directly or via the Cape Care Fund.

They have been working alongside other relief organisations, as well as local, national and provincial government departments, to assist affected residents. Support provided thus far includes blankets, meals, and hygiene packs.

However, due to a large number of households simultaneously impacted across the province, the system is under severe strain. Some areas can’t yet be accessed due to damaged roads and infrastructure.

Working on Fire is airlifting supplies to areas that cannot be accessed.

“We appeal to the public and business sector to assist within your communities if it’s safe to do so, or to support humanitarian NPOs where possible,” said Western Cape MEC of Social Development, Jaco Londt.

Londt thanked all NPO partners, their workers and volunteers, as well as the frontline staff from DSD, municipalities, and disaster management for their ongoing efforts to bring humanitarian relief to affected communities.

To date, 3 628 people across the Western Cape have been displaced and are being housed in community halls.

• West Coast: 823
• Cape Winelands: 2 200
• Overberg: 315
• Garden Route: 290

In the City of Cape Town, 85 512 people in 22 146 homes have been impacted.

If you would like to make a donation via the Cape Care Fund, visit capecarefund.org.za or scan the QR code:

Direct deposits can also be made:

Bank: Nedbank
Account: The Health Foundation – Cape Care Fund
Account Number: 1310 498 857
Branch code: 198 765
Branch Name: RRB Claremont
Type of Account: Current Account
Swift address: NEDSZAJJ