In my capacity as MMC for Community Safety, I would like to recognise and applaud the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) Cable Theft Unit for their continued efforts to combat cable theft.
This unit works vigorously to protect the City’s vital infrastructure. This means the unit assists to prevent prolonged power outages that adversely affect households and businesses. Furthermore, curbing cable theft will assist the City to reduce expenditure to replace damaged or stolen cables.
From January 2022 to date, the unit has recorded the following achievements:
- 69 suspects arrested
- Patrolled 6 268 cable theft hotspots throughout Tshwane
- Received and responded to 338 complaints from the public
- Conducted 107 operations targeting criminals, scrapyards and other places of interest
In the 2022/23 budget, the Cable Theft Unit has been allocated R10 million to further capacitate them with technology and tools to boost the fight against cable theft. The organised crime syndicates involved in cable theft are highly resourced, therefore, we must ensure that we have resources to match them.
Going forward, I will continue to engage the South African Police Service (SAPS) to prioritise crime that affects essential infrastructure. These talks will include better cooperation between the City and SAPS, as well as increased scrutiny for the licencing of scrap metal dealers and periodic inspections of their premises to ensure that no City property is illegally bought and sold.
Residents are encouraged to report cable theft and/or tampering with City electrical infrastructure to the TMPD Cable Theft Unit on 012 358 1550.