The MEC for Safety, Security & Liaison, Ms Dikeledi Magadzi, says the recent spate of cable thefts in Limpopo has reached ‘worrying’ proportions.

“We are worried and believe that the enactment of the law to regulate scrap metals sales and secondhand metals will assist a great deal. We must deal with cable theft crimes decisively,” Magadzi warned.

Magadzi said the spate of cable theft hurts the economy as the supply of essential services such as water, electricity and telecommunication networks becomes disrupted unnecessarily. She said although Eskom has embarked on an intensive drive to educate users about the dangers of cable theft, calling the perpetrators Izinyoka, the criminals do not seem deterred at all.

It was recently reported that a wooden pole supporting electric cables was cut down and a 10-metre cable to the value of R50 000 was stolen. “We must intervene and the introduction of a Bill will be sufficient if we are to win this war. Scrap metal and secondhand metal dealers must be compelled to demand details from clients who sell copper (electric) cables,” Magadzi concluded.

She also conceded that the farming community is hard hit by cable-theft criminals, but she congratulated farmers on working with the police by providing them with necessary information that has led to arrests of Izinyoka in the past.

Farmers told the MEC that, on average, they replaced copper cables on a monthly basis, saying this was not sustainable.