Infrastructure protection night patrol in Kya Sand
Policing forums along with various entities and the national government help local communities tackle infrastructure issues.
The rise of theft and vandalism of public infrastructure in Kya Sand, Bloubosrand and North Riding prompted the Douglasdale community police forum to conduct a community infrastructure protection patrol.
Members of the patrol included the Mayor of Johannesburg Mpho Phalatse, DA leader John Steenhuisen the Johannesburg MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Michael Sun, Speaker of Council Vasco Da Gama, Douglsadale Police Station Commander Brigadier Veeshani Arikum, Metro police, the local community watch, and ward councillors.
According to Sun, 1 500 cases of vandalism and cable theft had been reported to City Power in the past year which cost the city R24 million in damages and repairs. He added that City Power had lost more than R187 million to copper cable theft and damage to electrical infrastructure in the past five years, and now spent R100 million a year on security measures.
“Transnet claims that the theft of copper cable has increased by 177% over the past five years,” said Steenhuisen. He added Phalatse was at an advanced stage of establishing a Special Patrol Unit to deal with infrastructure protection, and the Group Forensic and Investigation Service was also coordinating the City’s long-term strategy.
The chairperson for the Douglasdale CPF Lizzy Mabena said,” We have a great commitment to tackling the infrastructure issues, predominantly in Sector 2 of our policing precinct.”
In closing, Mabena thanked all who were involved in the evening patrol and hoped for a stringent and immediate response from all spheres of local government and stakeholders in finding a permanent solution to combat the sabotage of infrastructure.
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