‘Entire chain’ of cable theft must be broken — mayor

Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality mayor Madoda Papiyana has called for more intensity in breaking up the “entire value [chain]” linked to the scourge of cable theft to help disrupt the black market. This follows yet another arrest of a suspected cable thief who was allegedly caught red-handed digging up a huge municipal cable in Komani’s Queendastria area, the town’s industrial centre, on Friday. Municipal spokesperson Lonwabo Kowa said a business owner in the area had managed to stop the attempted cable theft after alerting the police when he spotted three men using digging tools to excavate a section of road around midday.

“Upon approaching, he discovered a deep trench with exposed municipal power cable,” he said. “Two suspects fled the scene, while one individual was detained until the arrival of law enforcement. “A criminal case has been opened and the suspect is in police custody.” Papiyana, who visited the scene shortly afterwards, commended the businessman for being alert, saying the local municipality had long adopted a zero-tolerance stance on infrastructure theft.

The arrest comes just months after four Komani residents were arrested for cable theft. The matter remains before the courts. In November, the municipality revealed it had spent about R11m on replacing stolen cables in three months, a situation Papiyana described as extremely worrying.

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On Friday, he praised the businessman and the police for their swift response. “We are in a daily battle against the theft and vandalism of our electricity infrastructure. “And our pursuit does not stop with the individuals caught on the ground.

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