Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Chris Dalton and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr David Nzunga.
The DA in Moqhaka will raise the growing crisis of cable theft and failing public lighting in the relevant Technical Portfolio Committee meetings, where practical measures will be proposed to strengthen infrastructure protection, improve maintenance, and enhance community safety across the Moqhaka Local Municipality.
This continued lack of maintenance creates a low-risk environment for criminals.
Even in smaller towns like Viljoenskroon and Steynsrus, lack of lighting maintenance creates dark spaces for thieves to act with impunity and plunge large areas into darkness for extended periods.
In Kroonstad, Brentpark and Maokeng, subterranean cables are dug up and stolen.
The DA believes this problem requires a coordinated response involving law enforcement, the municipality and the community. Every incident of cable theft must be reported to SAPS to ensure the full extent of the problem is recorded and to support the establishment of a dedicated task team.
Municipal security patrols should be increased in identified hotspot areas, while the SANDF should be requested to assist with patrols in high-risk locations where appropriate.
Neighbourhood watches must be supported and strengthened in partnership with SAPS, and residents should be encouraged to report suspicious activity through a dedicated hotline to enable a rapid response.
The DA also supports introducing a reward for information leading to the successful conviction and imprisonment of cable thieves, as many communities know who the perpetrators are but remain silent.
In addition, authorities must investigate those purchasing stolen copper cables, including scrapyards and other buyers, to disrupt the illegal market that fuels this criminal activity.
We often see people burning cables outside scrapyards, making it difficult to identify where the cable comes from.
This problem can be solved with good maintenance and the political will to tackle it holistically, as it is costing the municipality, businesses, and residents millions of rand and causing extra hardship on the community in very difficult times.
This will be raised in the Technical portfolio meetings, where possible solutions will be proposed to combat the destruction of municipal infrastructure and services that carry strong minimum sentences.