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WITBANK - To make it harder for criminals to hold and sell stolen cable copper and scrap metal, government plans a sixmonth ban on the export of scrap and waste metal.
Copper cable theft is rampant, contributing to power outages and leaving trains stranded.Other measures were also announced yesterday, including a planned licencing system for copper trading, which will be launched in six months. Amendments to existing legislation, such as prohibiting the use of cash in transactions involving waste or scrap metal will be gazetted. Buyers must show an electronic banking record for the scrap metal they possess.
Intended sellers of copper waste and scrap metal must also be registered. Applicants will have to show relevant tax clearance and must submit purchase and sales information on a centralised database to be able to trade.
“Only registered buyers will be able to purchase from registered sellers,” Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel Patel said at a briefing in Cape Town.
Measures
Similar measures are in place for ferrous metals (that contain iron) and other metals – but exceptions would apply for stainless steel by-products and aluminium.
Police searches will be directed to logistics and distribution networks like ports so that they can disrupt criminal syndicates, Patel said.
Those behind scrap metal and copper cable theft, which has cost the economy over R47 billion in damages annually, need to be charged with treason, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said at the briefing.