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Cable theft is a rampant reality across the country, no thanks to rolling blackouts and load shedding, which makes it convenient for this non-ferrous crime to thrive locally, and has led to Ward 63 councillor Carmen Siebritz to table a motion for curbing the trend.
At a subcouncil meeting on Wednesday 21 February, she highlighted areas such as Fairways, Royal Golf Links, Plumstead, a portion of Diep River and Wynberg East, which has seen a drastic increase in cable theft over the past few months.
“In fact, this is a daily occurrence,” she said, “and as ward councillor, I’m of the opinion that the best way forward is to install overhead to underground cabling.”
She proposed that the City consider the following:
- That the Department of Energy inspect, consider and install overhead to underground cabling throughout the ward, or should the department not agree, that aluminium cabling be installed.
“This is a great way for the City to show it is serious about listening to the pleas of residents suffering at the hands of cable thieves daily, that it does not fail residents as the criminal-justice system that releases such perpetrators on R250 or less bail after they have been caught.”
Responding to the motion, Mayco Member for energy Beverley van Reenen confirmed the City was dealing with extreme and unprecedented levels of load shedding vandalism causing damage to local infrastructure. “[This] is wreaking havoc on the City’s extremely dedicated energy teams operating across the metro and especially in the large Area South, including Mitchells Plain, Gugulethu, Wynberg, Philippi and Muizenberg.”
She assured Siebritz that the City’s energy teams had noted her requests.
“A team will look at alternatives to alleviate and prevent the ongoing vandalising of City electricity infrastructure in the area. Interventions are underway as well as technological and innovative options that are being explored already.”
However, she said it is important to note that an overhead to underground blanket roll-out project may not be immediately feasible at this stage.
“It is being rolled out across the metro where possible. The City continues to investigate all feasible options.”
Van Reenen said the City is looking into additional means to help protect infrastructure and to curb vandalism and theft of power infrastructure.
“Some innovative and technological interventions being investigated require confidentiality,” she said, “as we would like to limit information going to the criminal syndicates and perpetrators.”
Van Reenen concluded by referencing the City’s broad-based interventions to curb vandalising of electricity infrastructure, including:
- Private security patrols
- Dedicated law enforcement unit for energy
- Alternative lighting solutions for un-electrifiable communities
- Capacitating neighbourhood watch groups
- Hi-Tech solutions under investigation
- Opening satellite equipment stores for faster replacement of infrastructure
- Appointing new public lighting contractors
- Operational changes to the escalation of requests
- Appointment of more artisans
