The Drakenstein Municipality in one month alone lost infrastructure to the value of more than half a million rand to scrap metal thieves.
These thefts from municipal properties took place in August.
The theft of scrap has skyrocketed in the past year and costs the Drakenstein Municipality millions of rands each year.
Manhole covers, faucets, cables, copper pipes, road-signs and more disappear from essential infrastructure almost every day.
Gerald Esau, Director of Community Services at the municipality, said it regularly facilitated multi-disciplinary team meetings that are directed towards the fight against cable theft in the area.
This team includes members from the South African Police Service and its Non-Ferrous Metals Unit, rail authority PRASA, Transnet and local security companies.
Esau claimed numerous arrests had been made by police with the assistance of the community.
He added that technology was used to monitor high-risk areas during operating hours. The municipality’s law-enforcement division also performed regular patrols at municipal buildings, sewerage plants and municipal facilities to help prevent cable theft and vandalism and protect its assets.
“These patrols – often based on tip-offs received from the community – are also performed during Eskom load shedding times,” Esau said.
“The municipality frequently engages with all relevant stakeholders in the security cluster.”
Cable theft was reported regularly, to which police respond and make arrests. Altogether 118 cases of cable theft were reported in the period January-September 2023.
The municipality urge the public to report cable theft incidents to 021 807 8508 (all hours).
