Cable thieves bleeding SA dry
Transnet, Eskom lose billions over past five years
State-owned entities Eskom and Transnet have bled billions of rand in losses over the past five years due to rampant cable theft that has also hampered their operations.
Transnet said its Transnet Freight Rail infrastructure is under attack from “highly organised cable theft syndicates”.
The entity said 395km of cable was stolen in 2019/2020, 700km in 2020/2021 and more than 1400km thus far in the financial year ending 2022.
“The net financial impact of security incidents to Transnet over the last financial year was R3.9-billion, which includes operational disruption, security costs and remediation,” Transnet Freight Rail spokesperson Clement Maphaba said.
“The theft of cables has a direct link to Transnet Freight Rail’s performance.
This means there will be more train cancellations, trains will be moving more slower than usual and all of this results in volume and revenue loss.”
Embattled power producer, Eskom, is not faring any better. The entity said cable theft cost it about R324-million over the past five years.
Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said: “Theft of copper places the electricity grid under strain and leaves communities without supply, could be for days. Supply and grid constraints lead to loadshedding and load reduction.”
Renewed focus on cable theft stems from its high cost to the economy.
This concern is echoed by the three most affected industries, that is electricity, telecommunications and rail.
Experts say the biggest driver of cable theft is the demand for copper, a commodity that has played a crucial role in global industrialisation.
The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimates that cable theft costs the SA economy between R5billion and R7-billion a year. Trade union federation Cosatu has called on the government to clamp down on scrap dealers involved in cable theft.
Openserve CEO Althon Beukes said copper line theft has an impact on connectivity, and it costs the telecommunications sector millions every year.
“Data gathered by Openserve shows that more than 800 areas across SA have been identified as hotspot areas for cable theft and vandalism, where thousands of copper customers are heavily affected. Copper line theft and damage has cost Openserve more than R60-million over the past year,” he said.