Municipal thieves are akin to terrorists

It is outrageous that the three big metros in Gauteng – Joburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni – have lost half-a-billion rand in the past six months to cable theft.

That is an incredible R1 million a day. Add in the other losses to municipalities around the country because of metal thieves and it is safe to say South Africa loses billions of rands a year to this crime.

Cable and other metal theft – of items like drain covers and highway railings – are not “victimless” crimes, even though these items belong to an “anonymous” city or government department.

When these items are taken, huge numbers of people are affected.

Cable theft causes power outages – which can endanger lives, but certainly inconvenience many, while theft of other metal items, especially from roads, can cause fatal crashes.

It is time also to stop calling this phenomenon a crime. It is economic sabotage and a form of terrorism against the state.

It should be treated as such: crime detection and prevention resources, as well as intelligence assets, should be allocated as a matter of urgency.

And the courts should treat those convicted of these crimes the same way they would treat terrorists.

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