A report to be tabled at the BCM council today details millions the metro is spending on repairing stolen and vandalised electrical infrastructure in the city.
The report indicates that from the R29m energy and electricity department budget, R23m has been spent between July and September on vandalism, theft and illegal connections.
Expenditure items included repairs to equipment due to illegal connections, substation equipment theft and replacing vandalised boundary boxes.
An additional R5,6m was also spent on attending to the storm damage between July 29-31.
The report reads: “The incidents of theft, vandalism and illegal connections not only lead to loss of funding that should be used for maintenance programmes but to loss of revenue due to reduction of electrical sales and a strain to the local economy.
“The electricity department maintenance budget is already strained, using funding to repair and replace equipment constantly instead of carrying out maintenance creates a backlog of maintenance which subsequently leads to breakdown.”
Earlier this year, the Daily Dispatch reported that the 2021/22 financial year had seen R27,1m lost to dealing with theft, vandalism and illegal connections while the 2022/23 financial year had seen R10m of its R32,9m budget lost between July and September.
With an increase in substation break-ins and blown transformers over the last three financial years, urgent electrical infrastructure maintenance had been put off. Councillor Geoff Walton emphasises that electrical equipment is expensive to repair and replace and that if the budget continues to be drained by theft, vandalism and illegal connections, the consequences will be frightening.
Walton said: “If the city is unable to maintain electrical equipment, as per the maintenance plan, this may mean that equipment will fault more often, with consumers bearing the brunt, sitting without electricity for extended periods.
“It may also impact on economic activity.
“That could lead to job losses, possibly even result in businesses closing. The consequences could also be severe for the municipality itself as it could translate into decreasing electricity sales and lower income from the service.
“The electricity fund is already operating at a deficit and this has to be made good from other financial resources.
“Every additional rand diverted to the electricity service to cover the cost of vandalism and theft will be taken from another service.
“Those services will then suffer in turn, regrettable as that may be.
“This is not a fight the city can win on its own,” he said.
“It requires the co-operation and support of others like the SAPS, the public prosecutor’s office, and others.
“The illegal connections may be a result of not having housing in formal areas, and until that too is addressed, illegal connections, and the resultant damage, will simply continue.”
The city was tasked in 2017 with performing a detailed security analysis to determine risks faced by its assets and Walton said the project was advertised a number of times but proceeded no further.
The 2021/22 report called on the municipality to develop a comprehensive security plan and to station guards in high risk areas however Walton believes this strategy would place security guards in harm’s way while achieving little for the safety of the infrastructure.
Walton added: “While our hope must be that the remaining funds could be used for actual maintenance and repairs, we must not be naïve and think that vandalism of our electrical infrastructure will suddenly stop.
“Vandalism will continue, meaning that council will almost certainly have to consider how to fund the critical maintenance required.”
Last week, the East London magistrate’s court last week handed down nine-year jail terms to three residents from Cambridge location for an incident on September 18 2019.
BCMM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said the metro believed that the sentencing would send a strong message to cable thieves that this was a serious crime that was committed not only against the state but against the people of Buffalo City.
Ngwenya said: “The sentencing proves that the courts are in agreement with our approach that such crimes are bleeding the state’s coffers and cause serious harm against citizens who suffer endless blackouts due to the selfish actions of those committing this crime.
“Those responsible are looting everything metal from cables to traffic lights, cameras, water meters, substations, toilets and halls.
“We strongly believe that there are scrapyard dealers who are creating a market for cable theft by buying stolen goods and it is important that they also be charged and sentenced.
“We also want to commend various roleplayers, including the police, community policing forums and private security companies who are assisting the city in keeping our streets safe by patrolling the streets to fight this crime,” Ngwenya said.
