Cable theft highlighted at Capital Park meeting

The cable theft industry and all its complexities were the main topics of discussion during a community meeting in central Pretoria recently.

MMC for community safety, Grandi Theunissen attended the meeting on behalf of the metro to engage with locals and authorities on the issues affecting the area.

Cable theft seemed to top the list of concerns for residents as over the past few months, the area has seen increases in this illegal practice.

“At least 17 cases in the area were registered at the local police station during September alone,” said Theunissen.

“While there was a decline in cable theft in October with only 10 cases registered in the area, each occurrence of cable theft has a negative impact on the community and requires that we all work together to end the scourge.”

The MMC claims that the community was generally satisfied with the work the Tshwane police’s (TMPD) cable theft unit has been doing regarding cable theft in the area.

Theunissen however acknowledged that more work needed to be done to combat the illicit trade, especially involving scrap metal yards.

“Shortcomings were identified and discussed. Key among the community’s frustrations is the seemingly uncontrolled regulation of scrap metal, which leads to the illicit trade in stolen cables.”

Residents are encouraged to report cable theft or related information to the relevant authorities.

The metro assures residents that its law enforcement is committed to solving the issue and though the type of crime is mainly fought by the police service, the TMPD will still be working hard to ensure cable theft-related incidents further decrease.

“The City remains dependent on residents, CPFs, neighbourhood watches, private security companies and others to act as our eyes and ears on the ground so that the TMPD can attend speedily to incidents,” Theunissen concluded.

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