The City of Cape Town’s ongoing battle against infrastructure is costing the city millions, with officials warning that theft and vandalism of electrical systems are becoming increasingly unsustainable, reports Cape {town} Etc.
According to the City, more than R44.5 million has already been spent this financial year repairing damage caused by theft, illegal connections and vandalism – a figure recorded by January 2026, just over halfway through the current financial cycle.
City’s MMC for Energy, Alderman Xanthea Limberg, described the issue as a persistent and dangerous challenge affecting communities across the metro.
‘Theft, illegal connections and vandalism of electrical infrastructure are safety risks to residents and continue to plague Cape Town neighbourhoods… This is money that could have been spent elsewhere to maintain existing infrastructure and on other capital projects… It is just not sustainable,’ said Limberg.
The City noted that the problem extends beyond financial losses, with repeated damage disrupting electricity supply and leaving neighbourhoods vulnerable. In many cases, infrastructure is vandalised again shortly after being repaired.
Efforts to curb the damage have included a range of interventions, such as:
- Replacing copper cables with less valuable materials
- Installing anti-vandalism technology
- Increasing security in identified hotspots.
The City is also exploring underground cabling and targeting illegal scrapyards as part of broader enforcement measures.
Despite these efforts, the scale of the issue remains significant, the City added. In the previous financial year alone, the City spent approximately R76.3 million on electricity infrastructure maintenance and replacement.
At the same time, however, ongoing investment continues in maintaining Cape Town’s extensive public lighting network, which includes more than 245 000 streetlights, supported by a R75.5 million capital budget for the 2025/26 financial year.
The City has also launched its ‘Protect Your Power’ campaign, aimed at raising awareness about the impact of infrastructure crime and encouraging residents to play an active role in prevention.
‘We call on residents to fight the scourge alongside our teams by being our neighbourhood partners, keeping eyes and ears open against criminality and by reporting all suspicious behaviour near electricity infrastructure to the City and SAPS,’ Limberg added.
Residents are urged to report suspicious activity anonymously to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC – 021 480 7700) or to the City’s ‘Copperheads’ toll-free line (0800 222 771), while SAPS remains responsible for crime prevention.
With millions already lost and infrastructure repeatedly targeted, the City warns that tackling the issue will require both continued intervention and community cooperation to protect essential services.
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Picture: City of Cape Town / Facebook
