While Transnet continues to feel the heavy knock of losses due to cable theft, Paarl police, together with Sinqobile Equestrian Security Services (Sess), recently managed to secure hefty sentences for a trio of copper cable thieves.
Meanwhile, the Steel Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) said the scrap metal export ban, which affected the livelihoods of more than 300 000 people, should not be extended by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) as it is “not working”.
Last week, copper cable thieves Renaldo Julies, Zanemvula Matyholo and Lungile Sangisana were each sentenced to 20 years in prison.
They were found in possession of essential infrastructure, about 50m of cut essential infrastructure, from the Transnet line at Daljosaphat in October 2020.
Sess head investigator Trish Armstrong said: “We regularly get (successful) sentences. We do learn and refine our enforcement with the SAPS and courts and this leads to greater victories.
“This was a particularly good sentence as the infrastructure is vital and hopefully will send a strong message to criminals.”
Recently, the government tightened the noose in the battle against vandalism of infrastructure, especially copper at utilities, such as Transnet, where random scrap collectors will be challenged to exchange copper for remuneration as the ban ensures more accountability between dealers and sellers.
In a gazette released on November 17, the government said it would restrict and regulate trade in ferrous and non-ferrous metals waste, scrap and semi-finished metals to limit damage to infrastructure and the economy, which at the end of April this year stood at about R46.5 billion, according to data from the DTIC.
A Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) spokesperson said they had recorded an “average R1.57 billion in revenue losses in the past three financial years”.
TFR said the cost for 50m of copper totalled nearly R25 000. “The cost of replacing one span of catenary wire is R24 500. However, the costs that are considered in totality, are the cost of call-outs and overtime, train delays, unhappy customers, impact on efficiencies and reputation, and cost of security to TFR."
Seifsa president Elias Monage said the scrap metal export ban was “misguided in the issue that it is attempting to solve, namely infrastructure damage for scrap metal theft”.
“It is an extremely blunt measure with unintended industrial policy consequences. More worryingly, it communicates a very poor economic signal by not taking into account a total steel perspective,” said Monage.
He said that discussions were beginning to “lean to the export ban being used as an industrial policy instrument to support scrap-based mills and the country’s de-carbonisation efforts”.
Cape Times