BTC hit by copper cables theft

FRANCISTOWN: The Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) is facing a serious copper cable theft problem which is affecting connectivity.

The continuing and widespread theft of telecommunications infrastructure in Botswana is undermining and disrupting the supply of communication services to customers, BTC has previously lamented.

Just last week, Zimbabwean duo, Thato Ngwenya and Shepherd Ngwenya, along with two Batswana, Moemedi Choto and Simane Lungisani, appeared before the Francistown Magistrate Court to answer to one count of allegedly stealing the Corporation’s cable.

The State asserts that the quartet, along with others not currently before the court, acting together with a common purpose, stole a BTC cable valued at P329, 385 near Matsiloje on January 29.

They seem to be serial BTC cable theft thieves. They appeared before court again on Wednesday to face a similar charge of stealing communications equipment. According to the charge sheet, the quartet together with Sipho Gumbo, a Zimbabwean, and Willard Makwindi, a Motswana, and others not before court allegedly stole a BTC copper cable valued P329,385 at or near Dumela Industrial Site on January 24.

It is clear that locals connive with foreigners, especially Zimbabweans, to commit crimes in Botswana.

In mitigation, some of the Zimbabweans blame poor economic opportunities in Zimbabwe for their predicament.

In the past, BTC outlined plans to go ‘copper free’ in some parts of the country following a spate of theft of its copper cables.

At one point, BTC incurred losses of P29 million from the theft of copper cables.

BTC announced plans to eliminate copper from its networks in Gaborone, Orapa, and Jwaneng by the end of the next financial year in favour of using fibre infrastructure.

In the past, BTC MD, Anthony Masunga said they have since intensified efforts and increased their capital budget towards building alternative technologies to replace the copper network investments.

“Copper cable theft inhibits our ability to provide quality communications services to customers. When copper cables are cut and stolen the end result is service disruptions meaning customers do not have access to communication, which could put lives at risk,” he said. “Further, damage to BTC infrastructure results in Internet service outage, which in turn affects customers’ ability to transact either online or through the ATM hence denying them the opportunity to buy or pay for services.

In essence copper cable theft negatively impacts businesses and their ability to provide service to customers.”