Copper confiscated by the City of Cape Town last year.PHOTO: City of Cape Town

Damage to infrastructure is not unique to any area in the Cape Metro.

But the allure of selling metals for scrap has undoubtedly contributed to the vandalism of our infrastructure.

In a recent statement issued by the City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security directorate, statistics over seven months showed a significant increase in cable Theft arrests by the City’s Metal Theft Unit since November. The increase coincided with increased higher stages of load shedding.

“The theft of cables and other critical infrastructure is simply not letting up. Our Metal Theft unit has made dozens of arrests each month in this financial year to date. There was a downturn in December, which tracks, as many specialised units are redirected to assist with festive season priorities, but in January, again the number of arrests increased,” says JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security.

“While metal theft is a longstanding issue, there can be no question that the continued load shedding, and particularly the higher stages and longer outages give criminals the space to do as they please. Not only are they able to operate under the cover of darkness, but where there is no power supply, cables and other electrified infrastructure are far more easily accessible.”

At a recent community meeting, residents raised concerns over the sight of collectors using concrete bus shelters along Klipfontein Road to burn materials to extract scrap metals for trade.

In response, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said it was not a feasible option to remove these structures, but rather that the criminal element – if any – and actions of these individuals were to be dealt with so that commuters could be using the structures for their intended purposes.

Scrap metals trade from R7 to over R500 per kilogram, depending on the metal.

While scrapyards are not permitted to take in certain metals and infrastructure, some do, creating a market for illicit trades.

This is a global problem, says Smith.

“We have a very different and rapidly changing environment out there. Dramatically escalating prices for non-ferrous metals (have) created a market, especially for other growing economies elsewhere in the world, where this metal is so desirable, that we have seen organised crime syndicates and more and more criminals entering this and creating mayhem all over South Africa. This is not just a problem in South Africa, but a global problem,” says Smith.

While reports from first-world countries such as the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA) and France all indicate problems with metal theft, Smith says there may not be another area as bad as here, much as a result of Eskom’s electricity management failures.

The Athlone and Lansdowne area has several scrap yards and scrap collections are a top concern for many locals.

Scrapyards are regulated by several laws, including the Second Hand Goods Act and must be certified by police.

Between July last year and January this year, the City’s dedicated Metal Theft Unit arrested 152 suspects for metal theft and conducted 1 156 hotspot patrols and 1 487 inspections at scrapyards and bucket shops, and recovered hundreds of kilograms of metal, cables and other stolen infrastructure.

By October last year, the unit confiscated more than 2 500kg of mixed copper and more than 200 m of cables across the City.

• Report criminal activity and vandalism to the City’s tip-off line anonymously on 0800 110077.
• A reward of up to R5 000 is on offer if an arrest or confiscation is made.