City of Cape Town called on to implement by-law dealing with copper theft

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Cape Town - The United Commuters Voice (UCV) has called on the City to enforce by-laws that prohibit scrap dealers from buying scrap without keeping records of the seller. UCV spokesperson Joao Jardim, said they asked Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to launch an investigation into why the City had not yet implemented that by-law, “even though they acknowledge that these ‘bucket shops’ exist and are a front for the drug lords to launder money and other dubious activities”. Jardim said even the Rail Enforcement Unit (REU) had not made any impact on their operations to deal with copper the theft that has crippled Cape Town’s train services. The unit was launched by former Transport Minister Blade Nzimande on October 27, 2018 and the City had a “special ceremony” two days later. Its contract was extended for another year. Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott said the Passenger Rail Service of SA (Prasa), the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape provincial government concluded a tripartite agreement in May 2018 and jointly funded the establishment of the unit for a 12-month pilot period.

Scott said a portion of the original funding of R48 million (R16m a piece) was still available after the 12-month pilot period ended on June 30 last year, “and the parties subsequently agreed to continue the REU to deplete leftover funds until the end of June”.

Safety and Security Mayco member JP Smith said the public would receive an update about the successes and progress of the REU in due course.

However, Smith said the City of Cape Town’s Metal Theft Unit, commonly known as “Copperheads”, was established to curb the theft of City-infrastructure, but their scope had broadened as the metal and cable theft problem had grown, “and often the officers recover infrastructure belonging to state-owned enterprises as well as private sector companies”.

Smith said two years ago, they had their powers extended in terms of the Second-Hand Goods Act, which allowed for the inspection of scrap metal dealers and bucket shops.

“We have seen the introduction of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act which introduced the option of harsher sentences for cable thieves.”

DA provincial spokesperson on Transport and Public Works, Daylin Mitchell, reiterated the “call for the mandate and budget of passenger rail transportation to be devolved to sub-national governments to manage our trains better”.

Mitchell said the City of Cape Town funded two thirds of the budget for the metro’s REU, even though the protection and safety of trains was not the City’s responsibility.

Smith said the City had continued to fight against metal and cable theft, more than a decade after its inception.

“In the last financial year (July 2018 - June 2019), the Copperheads arrested 90 suspects for cable and metal theft,” he said.

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