Community environmental initiatives and municipal infrastructure along the Soet River in Strand have suffered a double blow after two separate pollution control installations were targeted by criminals.

The incidents include the theft of heavy structural steel from a municipal river litter interceptor and the destruction of a community-funded waste cage, sparking frustration among locals.

The primary municipal structure, located at the intersection of Onverwacht Road and Broadway Boulevard, was designed to trap floating debris in the Soet River before it reaches the ocean. However, it has become a target for scrap metal thieves.

Reports reveal that perpetrators even chipped away reinforced concrete to steal a steel L-beam from the unit.

Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee member for Water and Sanitation, confirmed the ongoing challenges. “The litter interceptor was placed by the City and repeatedly vandalised between July 2025 and May 2026,” he said.

“Stolen components included litter grid wings, two steel L-beams and the top cage access gate.”

The municipality undertook a comprehensive maintenance project in May and June to replace the stolen parts. However, during the repairs, thieves struck again, stealing a newly installed grid wing, forcing a third replacement. To deter further theft, municipal teams encased the steel components in reinforced concrete.

Less than a kilometre away, near Strand Secondary School, a second site was also vandalised. In May, the grant-funded Soet River Forum installed a litter cage to give residents a designated waste disposal area. Last week, the cage’s door was stolen, its signage burnt and the area was full of uncollected refuse.

Lisa Starr of the Helderberg Ocean Awareness Movement expressed her dismay. “People try to do something nice for us and it’s not appreciated,” a passerby remarked. Starr noted that the site’s decline has worsened as local river rangers await contract renewals, leaving the area without oversight.

A community clean-up was held days later to restore the area.