The Dal Josaphat Stadium in Paarl has been the host of prestigious international, national and provincial athletics events such as the PUMA School of Speed and the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Youth Championships.
This proud Drakenstein facility is also home to various local rugby, cricket and soccer clubs. It is seen as unfortunate that, as with other municipal infrastructure, this stadium has not been spared when it comes to electricity cable theft.
At the hands of cable thieves, all electrical equipment has been stripped out of the electrical boxes that supply electrical current to the stadium’s high-mast lighting. This has caused the lights to not function properly at the moment, which means that events currently held at the Dal Josaphat Stadium can only take place during the day.
The municipality will replace these lights with lights that are suitable for hosting evening events and that comply with the lux levels for television coverage. However, before doing so, it will first secure the facility better. It will:. Heighten the wall on the Van der Stel side and install electrical fencing on top of the wall; and. Investigate further security measures, such as beams attached to an alarm system, and cameras linked to the Drakenstein Safety and Security Network’s (DSSN) centralised system.
These measures will also help secure the ballasts on the high-mast lights, which are attractive to thieves and vandals as they contain copper.
Cable theft has become a serious problem – not only in Drakenstein but also in neighbouring municipal areas and South Africa as a whole. During the 2020-’21 financial year Drakenstein Municipality suffered losses of more than R5 million replacing infrastructure due to cable theft.
The municipality wants to encourage the Drakenstein community to become involved in the fight against cable theft by reporting those responsible for it. It offers a reward of up to R5 000 to anyone who provides credible information that can lead to the successful arrest and conviction of suspects involved in any criminal offence against the municipality. This can include cable theft, arson, illegal dumping and other offences.
The municipality urges residents to report any suspicious-looking activity relating to cable theft to its 24/7 control room at 021 807 8508, or to the South African Police Service. Anonymous tip-offs are also welcome, and can be made to the municipality on 021 807 8508 or 080 131 3553 toll-free.
