Below, please find an extract of the minutes of the eThekwini Council meeting held on 5 September, 2011.
3. Question submitted by Councillor WB Chapman: Cable Theft (27/1/1/5/R):
3.1 What were the cable theft losses in eThekwini for the financial years 2007/2008, 2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2010/2011, 2011/2012 to date?
3.2 Has eThekwini established a specialised unit to combat cable theft?
3.2.1 If yes:-
3.2.1.1 How many permanent members are assigned to the unit; and
3.2.1.2 What budget has been assigned to the unit including the costs of posts permanently assigned t the unit; and
3.2.1.3 Who heads the unit; and
3.2.1.4 When was the unit established?
3.2.1.5 Is the unit focusing on scrap metal dealers across eThekwini?
3.2.1.5.1 If yes:-
3.2.1.5.1.1 How many scrap metal dealers in eThekwini were charged for buying stolen cables during 2010/2011?
3.2.1.5.2 If not, why not?
3.2.2 If not, why not?
3.3 Given that cable theft constitutes damage to public infrastructure necessary for the priority of service delivery in local governments, has eThekwini interacted with National Government with a view to reclassifying cable theft in a more serious crime category?
3.3.1 If yes, please provide a summary of our representation and the response from National Government.
3.3.2 If not, why not?
As Councillor DG Hoorzuk was providing responses, clarity was sought in terms of the relevant Chairperson not providing answers to questions. The Head: Legal Services advised that the Rules of Order stated that the Chairperson must ensure that responses were provided appropriately and that the Chairperson could request any Councillor to provide same. Thereafter, Councillor DG Hoorzuk provided the following respective responses:-
3.1 This is only direct cost, year 2007/2008 R15 608 850, Year 2008/2009 R16 675 844, year 2009/2010 R22 683 307, year 2010/2011 22 206 718, year 2011‑2012 only two months of data would not be measured against annually figures, there had been drastic increase of copper cables theft and electrical Infrastructure since 2007 to date. This was due to the fact that copper was valued at approximately R65. 00 per kg and the demand for exports to India and China were high.
3.2 Yes, a Business Risk Control Branch was started in 2009.
3.2.1.1 There were currently, six members of staff in the division made up as follows:-Three belong to the Risk Section and two investigators and a Senior Manager.
3.2.1.2 The Branch had been assigned a budget of R29 million.
3.2.1.3 The Senior Manager of the branch was Manju Naidoo. The Unions objected both at Local and Cluster Local Labour Forums to the Business Risk organogram being amended to include network theft and investigations section. It took a year and was only finalized in November 2010. The Senior Investigator post for the Network Section had been advertised four times to date and no suitable candidates had been recruited. At present, six Task Teams from the external security providers had been appointed, to patrol, monitor and react to reported incidents of cable theft until the Branch was adequately staffed.
3.2.1.4 2009
3.2.1.5 Scrap dealers
The Unit was focusing on scrap dealers together with Provincial South African Police Services, Non Ferrous Crime Combating Committee – Brigadier Harry and Business against Crime. This Committee under Brigadier Harry is committed to more raids on scrap dealers.
Raids were conducted on suspected dealer premises at least every 3 months with SAPS. The onus ultimately lies with SAPS and NPA in charging and prosecuting these dealers. The Municipality had no direct jurisdiction over these dealers. Council could only advise SAPS the suspected dealers in the industry, surveillance and raids are then conducted by SAPS – Organised Crime Unit.
It must also be noted that illegal “Bucket Shops” represent a major problem as they were unregulated, difficult to locate and contribute to significant quantities of copper and other metals leaving our shores.
Thus far, only a few scrap dealers have received fines from SAPS. There have been no convictions against them to date regarding eThekwini Electricity property.
The Municipality had been awaiting amendments and promulgation of the Second Hand Goods Act for the past two years. This new Act will give law enforcement “more teeth to prosecute dealers who were in possession of metals in their possession where they cannot identify the legitimate source of ownership. There would be stricter fines and sentences to be imposed on these scrap dealers.
Amendments to the legislation have been formulated collectively with Eskom, Telkom, Metrorail and Transnet via the National & Provincial Saps Non Ferrous Crime Combating Committee and Business Against Crime. The Minister of Energy has also recently publicised her support for these amendments. Research has shown that countries like Brazil have banned copper exports which have dramatically reduced copper theft. To get our country to adopt such a decision will require massive support from businesses as well as stakeholders in government.