Cable thieves run amok at beachfront recreational park
Buffalo City’s multimillionrand Leighandre “Baby Lee” Jegels Recreational Park, commonly called The Stoep, has been targeted by cable thieves and vandals.
Quigney Ratepayers Association chair Satish Nair said he noticed one of the lamp posts had been vandalised and alerted law enforcement officials and the Buffalo City Metropolitan Development Agency (BCMDA).
“When I noticed the vandalism two weeks ago, law enforcement and the development agency promised to look into it, but they haven’t done anything yet.
“I do not understand why has this been allowed to happen and is not taken seriously.”
On Wednesday things got worse, with vandals breaking the lamp posts and cutting cables from under the ground.
“These criminal activities happen during the night, but it is surprising that this is happening as security personnel are patrolling and guarding the recreational park throughout the evening,” Nair said.
“Quigney has become a safe place for criminals now as they can get away with it. We keep seeing new faces; it is not always the same culprits.”
The R87m park was officially opened on November 30 2023.
There are hawkers’ stalls, a jungle gym, an outdoor gym area and paving, as well as a stormwater management system, a sewer line, parking bays, a walkway, an information centre and an ablution building.
BCMDA spokesperson Nomkhitha Zokufa confirmed the agency and BCM were aware of the vandalism.
“The matter is receiving the necessary and urgent attention.”
After the opening of the park, security services were provided by members of the Public Employment Programme.
“The contract ended due to time frames and budget allocations. The agency was appointing security services, but it was during this transition that this unfortunate incident occurred.”
Zokufa said the agency was unable to say exactly how much repairs would cost, but an urgent remedial process was under way.
BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya referred the Dispatch to the agency as the project was under its stewardship.
In February, the Dispatch reported that illegal connections and theft of vital infrastructure
— including substations, overhead lines, underground cables, poles and street lighting — had cost the metro more than R200m in the past two years.
The metro said the thieves’ continued assault on infrastructure put it under financial strain.
BCM recently had to adopt cost-saving measures due to its precarious financial position.
Ngwenya said: “The electricity department’s maintenance budget is already under strain.
“Using funding to repair equipment instead of carrying out maintenance causes a backlog, which leads to breakdowns that need not have occurred.”