Ban scrap metal trade altogether, Pakati urges
Buffalo City Metro mayor Xola Pakati wants a complete ban on the trade of scrap metal in the city and not just restrictions on exports.
He made the proposal after East London was ranked number two in SA for burglaries at non-residential properties in the latest quarterly crime statistics released last week.
Pakati said a complete ban meant he would not have to worry about stolen scrap metal being taken from the municipality to neighbouring municipalities for processing.
The provincial government blamed the eye-watering stats on thugs who raided businesses and public buildings that were left without security.
The mayor was speaking after the cabinet announced it had approved a bill to ban the export of scrap metal for six months.
The bill was approved last week. A suddent proliferation in the illegal trade of scrap metal since the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 is costing SA billions as thieves ransack public property, including railway lines and stations, and even underused municipal facilities and sports fields. Most of the stolen metal is bought and sold as scrap.
The Dispatch reported last week on how the Buffalo Flats bowling and cricket clubs had been looted and stripped bare.
BCM now has to spend more than R1m fixing the bowling club, part of which is needed as an office of the area’s ward councillor.
“I am very worried about the escalation of criminal activity in our city, starting from vandalism of buildings and theft of municipal property in the buildings,” Pakati said. “But also you have two categories — those committing burglaries in offices and those stealing] copper pipes. There was a video circulating at some point [of people] stealing copper pipes from our infrastructure and selling it to scrap metal dealers.”
Pakati, though aware of the impending legislation to restrict the trading of scrap, said: “It is not enough. The issue for me would be the closing of these businesses.
“We cannot take that decision as the municipality. If we do that, we may be challenged in court, but also they may go to the nearest town. That’s why you need a national approach because [rogue] scrap dealers are feeding into this.”
He said a big problem was that some syndicates were transporting the stolen scrap across the borders into neighbouring countries.
Pakati said it was difficult for the city to replace infrastructure because of vandalism and theft.
BCM, was now going to secure all its buildings — a costly move, and one that was going to need a joint effort between the city and the police.
Transport & community safety head Vuyani Mapolisa said the province was giving input on the crafting of the new legislation to ban the export of scrap metal.
He said the financial considerations flowing from how the proposed ban was implemented also needed to be taken into account.