Cable theft – Farmers and businesses suffer great financial losses in the NW

FF Plus

Cable theft – Farmers and businesses suffer great financial losses in the NW
Cable theft - Farmers and businesses suffer great financial losses in the NW

The FF Plus welcomes the deployment of specialist police units in North West to investigate cable theft.

On 11 October 2022, during a ministerial briefing session in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on the scale and impact of the destruction and theft of public infrastructure, the police’s ministerial delegation gave the FF Plus the assurance that these units will soon be deployed in the province.

Gen. Maropeng Mamotheti said on behalf of the Deputy Minister of Police, Cassel Mathale, that these units will, furthermore, pay specific attention to the destruction and theft of Eskom infrastructure in the areas between Lichtenburg and Ventersdorp.

These areas have been plagued by extensive power outages caused by well-organised cable theft.

Farmers and businesspeople have suffered great financial losses due to the power outages.

It is clear that cable-theft syndicates are targeting the area.

Kilometres of power lines and even high-voltage cables are frequently stolen by well-equipped criminals. Heavy vehicles are then used to transport the tonnes of cable.

The deployment of these specialist units follows various requests by the FF Plus for intervention over the past year.

The FF Plus will keep monitoring the situation as well as the progress with the investigations.

Read the original article in Afrikaans by Fanie du Toit on FF Plus

SOURCEFF Plus