Municipal employees who must protect infrastructure in an important South African city arrested for cable theft

Six municipal employees, three of whom are believed to be electricians, have been arrested in connection with cable theft in Kimberley.

Councillor George Joseph from the Sol Plaatje Municipality called for an independent investigator to probe metal theft within the institution.

This investigation should include links to the illegal scrap metal trade and any internal networks that may be enabling these crimes.

Joseph said that the municipal employees were arrested after police recovered suspected stolen copper cables valued at just over R16,000.

“The arrests raise questions about the extent to which criminality may have infiltrated the municipality,” he said.

“It also raises concerns whether those entrusted with maintaining public infrastructure have instead been helping to destroy it.”

Joseph said that they have consistently warned that cable and metal theft in Kimberley is not the work of isolated criminals.

“It is driven by organised syndicates with the equipment, networks and buyers needed to keep this illegal trade alive,” he said.

“Metal theft left communities without essential services, damaged critical infrastructure, cost ratepayers millions, and left residents feeling vulnerable.”

He cited an incident last week, where a power distribution box was burnt, leaving the community without power for two days.

“There was also a power outage in another area due to vandalism of cables, where Sol Plaatje had to replace 120 meters of cable. Crimes like this happen every weekend.”

He said that if municipal officials were linked to these criminal activities, it explained why repeated calls for the municipality to act have not borne fruit.

“Sol Plaatje municipality has repeatedly failed to enforce its own by-laws, allowing illegal operators to continue trading while communities pay the price,” he said.

“These arrests, therefore, cannot be seen as an isolated incident, nor can addressing this matter be left to the police alone.”

Joseph said that it requires a dedicated effort by Sol Plaatje to probe criminality within its own structures.