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The power outage crisis has caused a massive issue in South Africa over the years. Limited supply, overuse, and poor infrastructure for electricity provision have contributed to this significant problem. However, cable theft has caused a major disruption of the already limited power supply.

The impact of cable theft is critical. Not only does it affect communities, but it also disturbs business productivity and core industries such as healthcare and manufacturing. Read on to learn how cable theft has devastated the country and how dangerous it is.

Widespread Cable Theft

Cable theft is a significant and widespread issue that’s affecting South Africans. Besides affecting people’s lives, it greatly impacts the economy. For instance, cable theft causes major interruptions to communication signals of transportation systems leading to power outages that can affect the free flow of traffic.

In worst-case scenarios, this transportation system signal loss can disrupt trains transporting goods. As a result, they may derail or collide and increase the risk of fatalities. Reports suggest that law enforcement needs more capabilities to combat the growing surge of cable theft nationwide.

The leading cause of the spike in cable theft is the demand for copper. It’s a global commodity that many industries still rely on. The more value copper has in the international market, the more illegal traders emerge.

As a result, South Africa faces an additional problem besides load shedding. Increased cable theft is devastating the economy. It’s also a life-threatening criminal activity as it can lead to electrical injuries such as electrical shock and severe burns.

Power Blackouts Caused by Cable Theft

The fact is cable theft affects the supply of electricity. Outside of your home, significant industries such as manufacturing, data centres, and medical facilities, among others, are badly affected by this criminal act. Not only does it slow down productivity, but it endangers the lives of people who require urgent medical services.

Over the years, the spike in cable theft crimes has increased stages of load shedding in urban areas. This has resulted in extended power outages that take longer to fix. Criminals steal electrical connectors from municipal electricity boxes to disrupt the signal.

Impact of Cable Theft on Communities

Cable theft is a serious organised crime in South Africa. The impact of cable theft in communities is significant as it affects people’s lives and livelihoods. For example, small business owners feel the effects of extended power outages more.

It can take municipalities days or weeks to restore affected communities’ power supply. Businesses in communities suffer because these interruptions affect internet and telecommunication services. It also makes it difficult for community members to access medical and non-medical emergency service providers.

While load shedding is seen as a necessity to ensure Eskom meets the current electricity supply demand, it has created a gap for cable theft criminals to thrive. In parts of the country, metal theft units continue to make arrests. However, the scheduled loadshedding outages make it easier for criminals to access cables easily.

The Dangers of Cable Theft

The impact of cable theft on communities isn’t the only concern that the government and emergency units should be concerned about. Exposure to electrical currents is a hazard for cable theft criminals. In most cases, people involved in this crime aren’t aware of the potential risks they’re exposing themselves to.

• Direct contact with electrical wires can cause severe burns on your skin or internal organs.
• An electrical current passing through your body can destroy your muscles, nerves, and tissue.
• Contact with electricity can cause fatal falling incidents.
• Electricity can cause cardiac arrest if it reaches your heart.

The bottom line is that cable theft has become a significant problem that continues to grow nationwide. The lack of government efforts to end this economic crime affects millions. A unified effort from the government, communities and metal theft units is needed to ensure criminals are arrested to reduce the widespread impact of this crime.

If you suspect any cable theft activity within your community, you can use the iER App to report it. The iER App alerts community policing units of the crime and dispatches appropriate service providers to your location. Download the iER App today to connect to over 13 000 medical and non-medical service providers.