Gauteng govt appoints task team to deal with cable theft

KAMPALA (Scrap Monster): A task team has been set up Gauteng to deal with scrap metal, cable theft and the policing of those dealing in its trade.

The province’s safety cluster says this is one of the problems that law enforcement agencies will be focusing on this year.

Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malubane says this has a further impact on load shedding.

“Cable theft has contributed to some of the problems that we have. But also this thing has caused havoc in the townships, people’s gates and geysers get stolen; anything that is iron.”

Last year, the South African Local Government Association (Salga) said R5 billion a year is wasted as a result of cable theft.

The association said cable theft and vandalism are costing government billions of rand that would be better utilised for improving services.

The association’s William Moraka said this also causes interruptions in the water supply.

Salga also believes some of the service providers it has employed have been the culprits involved in copper theft and vandalism.

Moraka asked community members to report and name and shame those involved.

Courtesy: www.ewn.co.za