R10 million lost annually: Tshwane's fight against cable theft

The City of Tshwane has vowed to crack down on cable theft and infrastructure vandalism, which has cost it nearly R10 million annually. 

Member of the Mayoral Committee for Utility Services, Frans Boshielo, said the city will boost security patrols and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to dismantle the syndicates responsible. 

He said the city will also embark on community awareness campaigns to educate residents on the social and economic impact of infrastructure crime.

Boshielo expressed concern that cable theft and infrastructure vandalism are crippling our city's service delivery, costing it between R8 million and R10 million annually.

Each month, he said, the city records approximately 2,000 unplanned power outages across its seven regions, with Region 3 bearing the brunt.

In August last year, the city reported that at least 1,000 streetlights were stripped and stolen in Soshanguve, just a day after they were repaired.

Boshielo said the frequent disruptions are having a devastating impact on households and businesses, grinding productivity to a halt and threatening the city's economic stability.

“Theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure are among the primary causes of unplanned power interruptions. These crimes not only plunge communities into darkness but also accelerate the deterioration of critical equipment, leading to repeated failures and costly repairs,” he said.

According to him, the situation is getting worse with thieves now targeting electrical protection equipment, such as tripping batteries, network control cables, and earthing conductors at substations.

“The removal of earthing conductors and tripping units compromises the protection of downstream networks, allowing electrical faults to persist longer than they should before being cleared at the primary substation. This means that more consumers are unnecessarily affected by power outages that could have been avoided if the integrity of the secondary network protection had remained intact,” he said.

In severe cases, Boshielo said, the ongoing theft and vandalism of electrical protection equipment pose a risk of serious injury, fatalities, and large-scale destruction of substations due to overheating of unprotected equipment.

“Analysis by the city shows that electrical faults account for about 50% of all service disruptions, with theft and vandalism contributing an additional 40% of total outages. When emergency response costs, overtime labour, increased security measures, service interruption impacts, and administrative expenses are factored in, the conservative annual financial loss to the city stands at R8 million to R10 million,” he said.

He said funds stolen through cable theft could have been used to upgrade infrastructure and improve service delivery.

The city has implemented several interventions, including the investigation and introduction of theft-deterrent technologies such as smart cables and real-time monitoring systems.

Other interventions include accelerated response protocols to ensure rapid restoration of damaged infrastructure and minimise service disruption, and intelligence-driven operations to identify and dismantle criminal networks involved in cable theft.

Boshielo said: “The R8 million to R10 million we lose annually to theft and vandalism is money that belongs to our residents. It is money that should be improving our infrastructure, expanding our services, and building a better city for all. We cannot allow criminals to destroy what is meant to serve our communities.” 

Residents have been urged to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity around electrical infrastructure by contacting the Tshwane Metro Police Department. 

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za