The massive multi-billion rand infrastructure and cable fixing “honeypot” of ELM and national Government is increasingly attracting the attention of cable and transformer syndicates across Gauteng and beyond.

Cable thieves in Vereeniging as recently as Monday cut cables in Duncanville, paralysing business in the area for 17 hours. Just after midnight on Monday night cables were cut and stolen in Vanderbijlpark as well.

It seems criminals operating with insider ELM help have now realised that neither ELM or the national Government seem interested in securing infrastructure, but simply replace stolen cables and transformers knowing they will again be stolen, say intelligence sources.

This is in turn undermining business sector efforts to provide static and reaction security for strategic infrastructure in the Vaal,“ according to organised business.

ELM Lead Administrator Gilberto Martins did not respond to requests for comment.

“ELM and national Government are the givers that keep on giving to organised crime,  spending R11 million in ratepayers money every month on useless municipal security,” says Vereeniging Business Corporation (VBC) director Kevin Jackson.

The Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce (GTCoC) and VBC have consistently voiced their concern to both ELM and to Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu that replacing cables and infrastructure without proper security means literally giving it away to criminals.

“Bad risk management and incompetent management by ELM are  preventing infrastructure improvement and that means service delivery will not take place, thus undermining investment and confidence in the Vaal,” said GTCoC CEO Klippies Kritzinger.