Letter: Resident concerned about cable theft in the CoE

EDITOR – 40 days and 40 nights in Kuvukiland, aka Cresslawn, that is what it feels like.

Cables are stolen monthly, yet the matter does not get the attention needed to prevent it from happening.

Why? Is it the contractors who replace the cables? It only makes sense.

Perhaps the first question during the interview might be, Have you stolen cables? If so, explain… well done, and welcome, the job is yours.

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After that, we, as residents, begin complaining because it is our human right to do so, to make the councillor attentive to our issues.

A few hours later, and many empty promises and text messages on the next ETA, our people are told to keep their mouths shut and that we are behaving like children.

The next moment, the substation burnt when the power was restored. The next ETA is noon today.

In the previous election, I thought, well, let us give this guy another chance; maybe he will stand up for us as a community and do better. Well, I have bumped my head once and not again.

We are entitled to basic human rights: to have water, to have electricity – yes, I am a paying citizen – the right to decent and safe roads, the right to have working street lights – none have worked for many months – the right to have clean roads, not ones where sewerage runs down and through residents’ properties for weeks and weeks.

A good leader keeps his community happy and puts them first before himself.

Voting day is getting closer. This time around, I will know for whom to vote.

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ANONYMOUS
CRESSLAWN

EDITOR’S COMMENT: The spokesperson for the CoE, Zweli Dlamini, commented as follows:

The city is aware of cable theft, a major problem for the country, especially when there is load-shedding.
What worsens the situation is that there is a market for the thieves.

We have employed security companies using the latest technology to monitor any tampering with the electricity infrastructure.

We also have the EMPD.

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Our efforts are showing some positive results, but we also need the community to work with us by reporting suspicious activities in their areas to the police or the metro so that we can identify the suspects.

Also, someone somewhere knows the crooks. That information is critical.

Furthermore, the country has prioritised tampering with critical infrastructure by ensuring those caught get hefty sentences. Cable theft is now a priority crime in the country because it is a major problem throughout SA.

There are many effects of cable theft, including, but not limited to:

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• Lives are put at risk because some people need electricity to survive, such as those using oxygen machines.

• Budgets for other projects and broadening community services are diverted to replace cables.

• Traffic lights and streetlights are vandalised, putting lives at risk.

• The economy is affected because some businesses cannot operate optimally.

The allegation levelled against the councillor should be directed to the office of the speaker because it is a legislative issue.

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