Durban-KwaDukuza railway line becomes harvesting ground for cable thieves

Cable theft is a major problem locally, with at least one case reported weekly.

“In our area, it is a big issue with railway lines mostly targeted,” said Umhlali police spokesperson, captain Vinny Pillay.

With passenger trains at a standstill for the past year, the railway has become an easy target.

Last week, Ballito experienced widespread power outages after two men raided the Ballito substation on Allen Drive near Townsend Park.

The two split up as they left on foot, but one was caught with a sack full of copper cables by private security companies.

An alarm at the substation tipped off security and one of the suspects was picked up by an IPSS security camera.

“We sent out an armed patrol in response and found the man on Patricia Road. After searching his bag along with Alpha Security members, it was confirmed he was one of the thieves,” said IPSS general manager, Glen Smith.

South Africa’s largest telecommunications infrastructure provider, Openserve, reported that cable theft remains an issue, having a significant negative impact on businesses, communities and the economy.

Quoting figures from the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, estimates indicated that the economy loses between R5- to R7-billion per year to cable theft.

It not only impacts on electrical infrastructure, but also telecommunications and transport sectors.

While advancements in technological infrastructure are being made to switch to alternatives such as fibre, copper remains an essential component across many industries.

In 2009 the Second-Hand Act was introduced. This meant businesses buying second-hand goods had to record transactions, as well as collect details about the seller’s identity, such as ID, full name, address and contact information.

Such businesses are required by law to contact authorities if they suspect a seller is attempting to sell stolen items.

A local scrapyard owner, who asked to remain anonymous, said while he has tough measures in place to identify and prevent selling of stolen cables at his business, some inland scrapyards in Shakaskraal, Stanger and Tongaat have little or no measures in place.

He said a kilogram of copper cable could fetch about R95. At his business a seller needed to produce proof of ownership, identity documents and a company letterhead as verification to ensure the origin of the cables can be traced.

“Not all stolen cables are sold. Some thieves steal cables for illegal electricity connections. If you look closely at some of the cables used in informal settlements, you can tell they were not bought at hardware shops.”

Ward 22 councillor Privi Makhan said law enforcement and the municipality’s electricity business unit had to step up to curb this illicit trade.

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