Even though the City of Cape Town has ramped up efforts to keep Cape Town lit, vandalism, theft and illegal connections has put a dark cloud over the city.
In February 2022, almost R1 million was recorded in damage from vandalism and illegal connections which caused unnecessary power outages, and this same amount could have been spent on expanding service delivery instead, the City explains.
It’s a vicious cycle where as soon as the City fixes or replaces vandalised infrastructure, it’s vandalised again. Most of the incidents were recorded in the metro’s Area North in areas such as Hanover Park, Heideveld, Athlone and Manenberg as well as in Atlantis and the central city areas of Woodstock and along Philip Kgosana Drive. In Area South, Mitchells Plain recorded the most number of incidents.
“We appeal to residents to assist us by reporting any suspicious activities near electricity infrastructure to both the South African Police Service and the City so that we can bring an end to infrastructure theft and vandalism. We often leave streetlights on in some cases to deter vandals and where lights are out due to vandalism, the City fixes it as soon as possible.
“Sadly, often as soon as lights have been fixed, they are vandalised again. The City does deploy security and monitor hotspot areas where possible, but we rely on our communities to alert us and to help us protect community infrastructure,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Councillor Beverley van Reenen.
The South African Police Service remains the lead authority in crime prevention. Report damage to municipal electrical infrastructure here:
- SMS: 31220
- Email: [email protected]
Residents can give anonymous tip offs if they are aware of illegal activity. Please call 021 480 7700. A reward is also offered for information leading to arrest of the confiscation of stolen goods.
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Picture: Cape {town} Etc Gallery