Double load-shedding as transformer and electricity infrastructure theft reaches crisis levels
27 February 2024
In addition to Eskom’s ruinous load-shedding schedules which have resulted in South Africans spending more and more time in the dark, the theft of critical electricity infrastructure has reached crisis levels across the country.
This was revealed in a written response, to a DA parliamentary question, on the number of cases of theft and/or vandalism to electricity infrastructure reported between 2018 and 2023.
According to the written response by the Department of Public Enterprises, between 2018 and 2023, over 44,000 cases of transformer and other electricity infrastructure theft were reported. On average, this represents 24 incidents of theft and vandalism per day over the last 5 years.
On electricity transformers alone, 232 were reported stolen in the 5-year period under review, representing a cumulative direct loss of R18 million.