Press statement by Solly Msimanga Executive Mayor of Tshwane
The Anti-Cable Theft Unit has, this past week, made 12 more arrests in our war on cable theft which threatens the provision of reliable and sustainable provision of services to our people.
In so doing this unit was able to recover several tons of copper to a value exceeding R500 000 just over the Easter weekend.
This is in addition to the 67 arrests made since the recent establishment of this unit by the Executive Mayor in October last year. With a national syndicate of cable theft this progress in such a short space of time is no small feat and it is only the beginning of the change we will bring for our people.
Executive Mayor Msimanga said “The war on cable theft for the sole purpose of ensuring better services to the people of Tshwane is well underway and we thank all those members of our law enforcement agencies for often risking their lives in service to our people. We will not tolerate the human hand in the deliberate sabotage of our infrastructure that is already aged and in need of replacement and repairs. Cable theft only serves to compound our work on the already strained infrastructure and we will do everything in our power to ensure that it is stopped.”
“It is critical to note that cable theft not only robs our people of basic services but also threatens to harm opportunities for further investment in industrial areas who need water and electricity services to conduct their business and grow to employ more and more people in our city who are in desperate need of work. The theft of cables has a knock-on effect and the stabilisation of our infrastructure is critical to our ends.” Msimanga added.
The City’s administration recognised the growing trend of cable theft that is not unique to Tshwane but has the potential to hamper the sustainable provision of services in our City. Due to the high prevalence of infrastructure theft throughout the City of Tshwane, we established a Cable Theft Unit within the Tshwane Metro Police Department which renders the following services in order to mitigate the theft of cables within the City:
- Static guards posted at open trenches, new trenches and substations
- Regular patrols of trenches and hotspots as well as substations
- Regular inspections conducted at scrap yards to ensure accreditation and compliance
- Respond to cable theft complaints
- Apprehending the Suspects involved in a cable theft crime
Not only do cable thefts cost the City money but they also result in service interruptions. the theft of power supply cables at means that residents are denied the opportunity to enjoy uninterrupted services which they are entitled to.
It is with this view that the City of Tshwane has through its IDP and draft budget, out for comment, ensured that significant resources are allocated to the prevention of crime and making our city safer and more efficient for all those who live in it and that includes the arresting of syndicates and sabotage that threaten the City’s ability to provide services.
We do not have all the answers to all the challenges we currently face and we are working around the clock to ensure that all the needs of our citizens are tended to across all communities in our city. You are all our people and we are working to give you a better life.
We ask for your cooperation, support and resilience because it will be through your cooperation and our hard work that we make Tshwane prosperous. As such we encourage our residents to contact local authorities if they see or suspect any illicit behavior in this regard and to report any instances where they know cable and copper are being sold so we may shut down these distribution points with a view to killing the market for the peddling of the city’s stolen property.