Residents of small towns and townships suffer significant economic hardship because of cable theft every night.
I have previously raised awareness about the municipality’s lack of leadership and action (insert links to those stories).
In her reply to my written questions about cable theft in Merafong, the MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko, revealed additional facts.
According to the MEC and SAPS, organised crime syndicates are at work in Merafong. Her reply indicates that the interaction between the different levels of the criminal value chain proves that cable theft is organised. The value chain is as follows:
•Level 1: Individual/operatives used as cutters and grinders who remove copper cables from the ground/scene.
•Level 2: Local intermediary used for the transporting and safe- keeping of the copper cable before being sold.
•Level 3: National processors facilitate the distribution of copper cable.
•Level 4: National and inter- national importers/exporters facilitate the smelting and distribution of copper.
•Level 5: International and transnational traders of the copper.
It is very concerning that the MEC did not know how many cable theft cases were reported in Merafong, nor the progress of investigations. She could only reply that just 12 arrests have been made so far, with no indication of any convictions. This information is consistent with the lived experience of residents, who feel more and more desperate to take matters into their own hands.
According to the MEC, the situation is well in hand:
The following programmes are in place to curb theft of and damage to infrastructure in Gauteng:
•The five-pillar approach contained in Operation O Kae Molao includes intelligence-led interventions at scrap metal dealers, bucket shops, second-hand goods dealers, scrapyards and recyclers. These are joint and integrated interventions. All actions, successes and outcomes are reported to the Gauteng Provjoints.
•Gauteng has a fully operational non-ferrous metal crime combating committee, chaired by the provincial head of Visible Policing and supported by Eskom, Prasa, Transnet and all mobile telephone networks in Gauteng. This is a priority committee that provides feedback to the Gauteng Provjoints.
•The Gauteng POCC coordinates joint operations at infrastructure damage and theft hotspots; and existing CCTV infrastructure supports its actions.
•Rapid Rail, assisted by Prasa and Transnet, has regular operations in hotspot areas, visiting identified dealers in pursuit of recovering equipment and property within the rail industry. Gauteng re-developed and designed a joint and integrated operational plan to deal with infrastructure theft and damage, which was fully implemented in October 2020.
•Multi-disciplinary teams identify illegal mining hotspots and conduct regular intelligence-led interventions.
•The Gauteng E2 project between private security and the SAPS respond to early warnings and possible criminal activity related to infrastructure theft.
•Establishing a district task team
Last week, I attended a com- munity meeting in Carletonville to discuss community-led action to protect substations. The gathering followed a letter from Gladiator Security doing the rounds that they intend to cancel their contract with the municipality due to Merafong’s non-compliance. This would mean that Gladiator could no longer provide security services at sub- stations. The meeting was very well attended, and the speakers were very vocal: None of the interventions the MEC highlighted made any difference in Merafong.
However, interventions can be implemented at a street level to disrupt these organised cable theft supply chains.
Residents are urged to be extra vigilant when moving around the community. Be aware of transient persons on your street. Waste pickers and informal traders, in particular, are often seen pushing heavy-looking wheelie bins around. Community members reported that they have come to know the identities of these persons as they often return to the same areas. Report any suspicious behaviour immediately on the community WhatsApp groups created for this purpose, and inform the ward councillor. Community members’ vigilance can disrupt the activities in level 1 of the criminal value chain and prevent the theft of cables at the source without endangering themselves or their households.
Residents are also keen to assist the municipality in keeping sub- stations well lit and -maintained. The situation is not ideal, but volunteers who want to cut the grass around the substation, and donations of solar lighting etc., have been welcomed. Ward councillors in Carletonville and Fochville have been leading the charge by sponsoring solar equipment and heavy-duty locks from their pockets.
While Merafong’s executive director of Community Services committed to immediate repairs at the Selati and Kareiga sub-stations, the community is urged to keep their officials accountable at every turn.
The DA support this “whole of the community” approach and our ward councillors are in constant contact with community members and authorities. We would like to express our gratitude to residents, our private security companies, and our businesses for not giving up on Merafong. We will continue to seek solutions at local, provincial and national levels of government until a lasting intervention is implemented.
