Rampart cable theft, if left unresolved, will destroy our country’s economy. Cable theft costs South Africa about R5-billion a year.
Cable theft is a mortal crime, it endangers seriously ill patients and those on crucial life support systems in hospital.
Trains have been derailed and thousands of commuters have been injured, many were even killed.
Cable thieves and cable theft dealers should be declared “Hostis Humanis Generis”, Latin for “Enemies of Mankind”.
Current laws to combat cable theft are inadequate; draconian laws must be passed to deter rampant cable theft.
Cable thieves must be charged with sabotage and dealers in stolen cables must be charged with treason.
Assets should be seized and confiscated and life imprisonment will curtail this morbid crime.
In KwaZulu-Natal, cable thieves were responsible for a major pipeline collapsing in the Umgeni River after thieves stole the support structure.
Fifteen major towns were left without water for over 10 days, while crews battled to undertake repairs, costing millions of rand.
The State needs to put in place measures, as a matter of urgency, to curtail such occurrences.
The continuing menace of cable theft shows no sign of abating.
The increased price of refined copper is a significant factor in the general rise of cable theft incidents.
Scrap insulated cable has a quarter of its value, but there is a startling correlation between the level of cable theft and the price of copper.
Cable theft is today a major problem, affecting power distribution across the country.
The crimes range between the daring and the reckless and are undoubtedly supported by organised and well planned operations.
We need to look at attacking the supply chain at source and focus in terms of where the thieves dispose of the metal and make it more difficult for them.
National Intelligence must be a critical factor in fighting this menace.
A conservative estimate of the direct cost of cable theft is estimated at R500-million a year.
In 2006 alone there were more than 11 000 reported incidents of this crime. In 2007 alone, Telkom reported a loss of R178-m, owing to having to replace stolen cable and copper wire.
From 2006/2007 to December 2011, Eskom lost R351-m as a result of copper theft.
This amount included replacement costs and the cost of increased security measures. Transnet also, over the same period, suffered losses amounting to R856 million rand.
Transnet spent R81-million on increased security during 2011/2012.
Cable theft is a factor in power surges which damaged equipment such as computers, TVs and all sensitive appliances, plugged in at the same time. Our legal custodians must implement the law more severely.
In 2009, 20 people from an organised group were arrested for cable theft. They received only a warning from the courts.
It is indeed sad, when diesel trains are being used instead of electric trains, because Transnet could no longer afford to keep replacing stolen power cables.
It is a proven fact that power surges from sub-station break-ins can damage freezers, fridges and air-conditioning units.
Copper water pipe theft is also a serious concern for many householders, as flooding is becoming widespread.
The demand for scrap metals has led to wanton theft of public metal fixtures, which, if it continues at its current pace, could bring economic recovery to a grinding halt.
Cable theft is undermining the country’s economy and the consequences for the masses would be more serious than for wealthier ones.
When power is disrupted, employment and job creation are less likely to occur and the cycle of poverty and disillusionment will continue to haunt South Africa.
