BLOEMFONTEIN – Roy Jankielsohn, DA leader in Free State, has lamented the unabated theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure by organised copper syndicates, crippling the province’s potential economic growth. He raised grave concerns in a statement, describing the electricity infrastructure crime as a crisis.

“These syndicates plunder and steal transformers, underground electric cables and electric wiring and covers from street lamps. Wiring is stripped of copper content and sold alongside steel street lamp pole covers. Agricultural production, medical facilities, emergency services and other businesses are dependent on electricity to carry out their economic activities,” said Jankielsohn.

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Jankielsohn said due to criminal syndicates, farmers, farm employees and residents in towns are left in the dark, without communication with the outside world, or without electricity and water.

“The financial cost is huge to residents of towns, farmers, businesses and local governments. This also impacts on communication and electronic security,” said Jankielsohn. He said a few hundred rand paid for stolen copper costs hundreds of thousands of rands in crucial infrastructure.

Jankielsohn said the DA has submitted questions to the MEC for Community Safety, Jabu Mbalula, seeking answers on the escalating theft of cables and the destruction of Eskom transformers for copper in the province.

“The DA wants to know how many incidents have been reported over the past three financial years, where they occurred, and most importantly, how many arrests and convictions have resulted from actions by local and national law enforcement.

“The Free State government cannot continue to stand by while criminals destroy infrastructure and taxpayers are left to foot the bill,” he said.

Jankielsohn said the party is also demanding answers on whether possible collusion between criminals and Eskom officials has been investigated in the theft and vandalism crisis of electricity infrastructure.

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“Repeated attacks on critical infrastructure cannot simply be dismissed as petty crime. If organised criminal networks are involved, they must be identified, exposed and dismantled. This can no longer be regarded as normal crime. It is an attack on our basic services, our economy and the security of our people in the Free State,” said Jankielsohn.

Jankielsohn said the party will continue to call for accountability and, where necessary, report any wrongdoing to the relevant authorities.

• According to reports, vandalism and cable theft result in millions in lost electricity revenue for the province and R282 million in technical and non-technical electricity distribution losses annually in the Mangaung Metro area alone.
• Operations by the South African Police Service (SAPS) along major Free State transport corridors routinely intercept syndicate trucks ferrying stolen copper cable worth between R1.8 million and R3 million, bound for processing markets outside the province.