Residents on bikes cut copper theft significantly
Volunteers are only half the story; the situation demands a political directive to co-ordinate municipal resources, writes Pearson Sibanda
Municipalities are being threatened by a scourge that looks unstoppable: copper theft. An alarming 159 thefts of objects in the metal each day, on average, is draining the economy of more than R10bn annually. One area where the sting of copper theft is sorely felt is in the capacity of municipalities to generate revenue from electricity sales. Most buy electricity at a fixed price from public utility Eskom, before selling it to end users at a price that is determined by the National Energy Regulator of SA. When copper theft shuts down the power lines, not only does it adversely affect the operation of public facilities such as hospitals and railways — to say nothing of the grief it causes to consumers — it also blocks a major municipal revenue stream. This can potentially be crippling: the percentage of total revenue that comes from the sale of electricity in large municipalities is more than 30%. Municipal budgets are also severely strained by the added burden of having to deal wit...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.