Residents, businesses bearing losses

CABLE theft and illegal connections remain an ongoing issue in many areas in Durban. Residents have now called for more action from municipalities and law enforcement.

Sea Cow Lake/Kenville

Anil Beekrum, the vice-chairperson of the Kenville/Sea Cow Lake Ratepayers and Residents Association, said cable theft and illegal electricity connections started more than 10 years ago and that it remained a problem for the community.

“Two weeks ago I was without electricity for four days. It is frustrating, especially for my children. They cannot charge their laptops or cellphones, while they work from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. I have also had to claim from my insurance for damages to my appliances. They stopped working due to the regular disruptions in the power supply.”

Beekrum, of Kenville Road, said they were afraid to touch their hot water taps because of high voltage surges.

“Those who steal cables and electricity are brave. They climb up the poles, cut the cables and reconnect them to supply their homes. Fear prevents us from saying anything. The formal residents continue to pay their electricity bills, but they face ongoing cuts.”

Rosella Dukhanti, of Temple Road in Sea Cow Lake, said she was concerned about her 79-year-old aunt who lived alone.

“She lives on the same road as me. Just last week the electricity cables to her home were stolen. When the power goes off she cannot go outside to check because it is dangerous.

“We are impacted by cable theft and illegal connections, but the eThekwini Municipality does not seem to care. Our calls to its customer care line sometimes just ring.”

Bobby Maharaj, the ward 34 councillor for areas that include Sea Cow Lake and Kenville, said the situation had worsened over the years.

“These guys are going as far as stealing fibre cables. I have raised these issues with the city but it still continues.”

Pietermaritzburg

Anthony Waldhausen, the chairperson of the Msunduzi Association of Residents, Ratepayers and Civics, said cable theft resulted in power outages in many suburbs at least twice a week. Some of the affected areas include the CBD, Northdale, Scottsville, Blackridge and Clarendon.

“When there is no electricity, the residents' landline phones also don’t work. Families are sometimes without electricity for up to two days. The Msunduzi Municipality needs to increase security measures to curb cable theft.”

Mohamed Saeed, the principal of an Islamic school in Masukwana Street, said: “During these outages, the computers and printers don’t work and the battery on the school’s alarm system only lasts up to an hour. This makes the staff and pupils vulnerable to crime.”

Suraya Reddy, the ward 33 councillor, said Church, Retief, Lower Market and Burger streets were among the vicinities impacted.

“There were times when the perpetrators were caught stealing cables, which run across the N3 Orthman Road bridge, but we cannot detain them. We have to wait for the police to arrive.

“By then, they have discarded any items that will implicate them in the theft. Some businesses that stock and sell food items are bearing heavy losses, while the bigger companies that don’t have generators also suffer. We have asked the municipality to employ security guards to monitor the CBD.”

Umkomaas

Vanessa Naicker, of Craigieburn, said: “When Eskom started load shedding several years ago, criminals used this as an opportunity to dig up the underground cables. From 2019, things worsened. We are without electricity almost every week.

“Then, as soon as the repairs are completed, there is cable theft again. The water supply is also compromised in Craigieburn and surrounding areas. During this time, the reservoir pumps cannot work without electricity, so we are left without electricity and water.”

Jane Naidoo, an IFP proportional representative councillor and resident in Umkomaas, said: “We were once deemed a hot spot for cable theft. It came to a point where the power line that supplied Craigieburn became inactive and costly to repair. The municipality had to connect the supply from two other substations to the area.”

Naidoo said a meeting was convened last year by the IFP's chief whip, Narend Singh, with various stakeholders from Eskom and the municipality. “Since then, we have made progress.” Msawakhe Mayisela, the spokesperson for the eThekwini Municipality, said: “Cable thieves have not shown a preference in the areas they choose.”

He said the municipality had taken a strong stance against cable theft, “especially electricity cables, as this often leads to tragic consequences, such as loss of life as well as damage to infrastructure.

“Cable thieves must be stopped because of the impact on our daily lives, our economy and job creation.”

He said vandalism and theft in communities could not be addressed by the city and police alone.

Mayisela said residents must speak up even if their relatives, neighbours and friends were involved in illicit activities.

He said the time taken to restore electricity varied, depending on the extent of damage.

“However, our teams do the best they can to ensure that communities are not affected for a long length of time.”

To report cable theft, call SAPS on 10 111 and the metro police emergency line on 031 361 0000.

The Msunduzi Municipality did not respond at the time of publication.