NELSPRUIT – A local man has come up with a unique anti-cable theft system. The Cable Croc not only protects cables buried underground, but also the portion exposed above ground level.
Mr Lex Harvey, the inventor of the system and managing director of Cable Croc Pty Ltd, says copper cable theft has become an industry. This is backed up by data from the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which estimates that this crime costs the country in excess of R5 billion per annum. In February last year, the chamber reported that the cable-theft barometer registered a loss greater than R20 million per month, for five consecutive months.
“The culprits range from the man who needs a loaf of bread, to well-organised syndicates that operate on a much larger scale to supply copper to the export market,” Harvey said. “Copper cable is essential to industry. Its theft affects Eskom, municipalities, mines, the construction sector, transport, telecommunications, farmers and the public.”
Harvey used to farm in the Barberton area. During this time he had his own trials with the theft of cables which affected the supply of electricity and, by extension, water. Upon his retirement, he decided to try and find a solution to the problem. He then devised the Cable Croc.
The system, which has been patented in South Africa and tested by the Council for Scientific Industrial Research, is designed to protect not only the buried cables, but also the portion of a cable which is exposed between ground level and the switch gear. Cables are latched to ground anchors randomly spaced in an excavated trench. Ground anchors and cable-griping devices are firmly anchored into the base of the trench and cannot be easily removed, thereby creating a deterrent and high-risk situation of being exposed and being arrested.
The system is available in three duties namely light, medium and heavy. The light duty is mainly suited to farmers, while the medium and heavy duties are meant for cable ratings from 10mm² to 300mm² as used by mines, municipalities and large industries.
“The system comprises numerous subsystems which can be manipulated to suite most situations,” Harvey said. “Cable maintenance and retrofitting can be carried out economically and without much delay.”Enquiries: www.cablecroc.co.za
