Because of copper theft
EPTC Managing Director Themba Khumalo.
poles had been cut down, probably to enhance the theft of the cables.
Community Police Chacka Magagula said the area had been prone to cable theft of late.
Shocked
“Just two months ago, cables had been stolen from the area and the EPTC had replaced the lines. Then this week we were shocked to learn that the lines had been stolen again. This time the thieves were even more determined as they cut down one of the poles, something that has never happened before,” Magagula said.
He said communities of Ndlandlameni, Gundvwini and others had been left without telephone system as a result of the vandalism. He said he had called the police emergency number
to report the incident because the police post at Ngculwini was recently burnt down by unknown people.
“These people are so determined. I suspect they are even armed because there is no way you can steal so much cables without any form of protection in case you are caught,” he said.
999 Intensify
He said the community had to intensify its neighbourhood watch so that such criminals were eventually apprehended.
Meanwhile, Eswatini News was informed that communities such as Mpolonjeeni in Mbabane and Madonsa in Manzini had suffered a similar plight as telephone lines were ripped off last week, leaving homes, clinics, schools and businesses without telephone lines.
A resident of Mpolonjeni said: “It was scary for me in the morning when I realised that while I was asleep, people were cutting out telephone lines just near my gate. I thank God they did not decide to jump the fence to commit crime in my home.”
The Mpolonjeni resident said he had no idea the amount of cables stolen, but said he had walked for over 200 metres, seeing the stolen lines.
Residents of Makholokholo said they had not had telephone lines for two years now, without an idea of the cause.
Dispatched
However, recently we went to report to the EPTC and when technicians were dispatched to look into the issue, they discovered that a certain cable which played an important role in the system had been stolen. We have not had operating telephones for over two years now,” a resident said.
EPTC Managing Director Themba Khumalo said his suspicion was that cartels were responsible for the theft of the cables. He said the EPTC was betting on communities to help in exposing the people behind the theft of the cables.
“Any damage to the cables affects the communities directly because they need telephones for clinics, businesses and their homes,” he said.
Khumalo expressed confidence that the theft of cables would eventually be dealt with once and for all. The EPTC said it lost about E10 million per year, replacing stolen cables in the country.
Replacing
On average, it said, copper wire is stolen every five days after replacing in some areas in the country.
It said perpetrators who benefitted from copper cable theft included organised crime syndicates and petty thieves who attempted to profit from the global price increase in copper cables. He declined to commit himself on whether the vandalism of EPTC infrastructure this week could be a result of the arson towards infrastructure owned by parastatals.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, 20 poles belonging to the Eswatini Electricity Company were cut down by unknown people at Hosea, leaving communities in the dark. The Royal Eswatini Police Service has said they were investigating all the acts of theft and vandalism of copper.
A telephone cable pole was like this after thieves stole cable at Ngculwini. left the