They've been charged under the Criminal Matters Amendment Act for damage to essential infrastructure and malicious damage to property.

CAPE TOWN - Metrorail says 60 cable theft suspects are awaiting trial in Cape Town.

They've been charged under the Criminal Matters Amendment Act for damage to essential infrastructure and malicious damage to property.

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa has opposed bail in all of the cases.

Altogether, officials have nabbed 70 suspects since the rail operator deployed additional armed guards, night vision equipment, night drone surveillance and armed vehicle patrols at the beginning of March.

Metrorail's Riana Scott said: “This past weekend another 10 were arrested. Two were arrested on Friday, seven on Saturday and one on Sunday. They were apprehended with evidence, tools, equipment and metres of copper-bearing cable.”