The Ikageng communities of Kanana Section, Sonderwater and surrounding areas have had enough of thieves who steal the brass water taps out of their yards while they are asleep.
The theft has been especially bad in April and May. The thieves operate under the veil of night and switch off the water meters before removing the tap. They then allegedly sell them to various scrap metal dealers in town for a bit of money. In desperation, community members have resorted to replacing them with plastic ones to avoid the inconvenience of trying to get water in the early morning.
Potchefstroom’s police spokesperson, Capt. Mvula Chaka, advises community members that have been victims to open a case at the nearest police station.
“If these crimes are not reported, the police will not know about them and they will not be investigated,” he said. As a precautionary measure, he recommended buying water tap locks to make it more difficult for criminals to remove them.
