Almost 20,000 cases of copper theft at essential infrastructure in just over 4 years

1 November 2023

Since April 2019, there have been a total of 19 919 cases of copper theft at essential infrastructure across the country, this alarming number points to the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) inability to effectively deal with the problem.

Over the past 4 years, despite sporadic arrests of syndicates, the number of copper cable theft-related crimes at infrastructure such as water and electricity supply has not declined significantly. This was revealed in a Parliamentary question to the Democratic Alliance (DA) by the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele.

Gauteng (5914), the Western Cape (2522) and the Free State (2452) are the provinces where these crimes occur the most. Just 4 examples hereof include:

In 2023, Metsimaholo Local Municipality reported R 1, 9 million worth of copper cables stolen that affected service delivery.

In 2022, four municipal workers from Matjhabeng were arrested for stealing copper from an old mine shaft and the city is frequently left without electricity because of copper cable theft. In November 2022, a 67-year-old woman was arrested for having copper cables from the Theoronia and Kutloanong sewer treatment plants, respectively.

In July 2023, Johannesburg City Council reported more than 400 cases of copper theft in 3 months, amounting to copper to the value of R380 million stolen.

Businesses also suffer, with Vodacom in the Central Region reporting in 2023 that on average between 15 and 28 sites are vandalized per month, and between 18 and 30 batteries are stolen per month at their base stations.

The economic and service delivery impact hereof is profound. Theft of copper cables to critical municipal infrastructure affects water provision to residents, schools and hospitals, and has a seriously detrimental effect on businesses already hard hit by loadshedding. It also has further cost implications for replacing such infrastructure, where such funds should have been used for service delivery.

South Africans are already suffering as a direct consequence of the ANC’s incompetence.

The DA will write to the Chairperson of the Select Committee on Security and Justice, Shahidabibi Shaikh, with a request that the SAPS be called before the committee to explain why they failed over the past 4 years to significantly reduce these crimes over the past four years and to present to us their plan of action for scrutinisation.

Issued by George Michalakis, DA Member of the National Council of Provinces, 1 November 2023