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Nine people will be appearing in Newcastle Magistrate’s Court, facing charges of damaging essential infrastructure linked to Transnet.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala explains that copper cables weighing 180kg, worth an estimated R350 000 was recovered before they could be driven off in a taxi.
Spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo, says, “It is alleged that private security guards received a call from their control room about a power failure between Laingsnek and Charlestown at the Amajuba railway line. They proceeded to the area and conducted patrols.”
During their patrol, the security guards noticed eight suspects who were busy removing copper cables from Transnet’s railway line and placing them next to the road.
Keeping a vigilant eye on the perpetrators, Captain Mhlongo says the security guards contacted the local police (Charesltown Police).
“In the process a white taxi arrived, and the suspects loaded the copper cables in the boot. While the suspects were busy loading, police and the security guards pounced on them. They were arrested and charged for damage to essential infrastructure.”
Lieutenant Colonel Gwala adds, “The arrested suspects, aged between 28 and 43, will also be profiled to check if they are linked to other similar cases that were reported in Charlestown and surrounding areas.”
Moreover, Transnet has suffered considerable losses from 7 March 2022 to 13 March 2022.
In the last week alone, the rail, port and pipeline company tallied 114 cable incidents, losing 35 357 metres in cable.
Transnet’s Container Corridor has seen 41 cable incidents, with 19 023 metres in cable loss.
The boundaries for the Container Corridor are as follows:
- Port of Durban to Port Shepstone on the Kwazulu Natal South Coast up to Stanger on the North Coast.
- Pietermaritzburg to Newcastle.
- Northern Free State made up of Kroonstad and Bethlehem.
- Johannesburg in the Gauteng province.
With Transnet enduring substantial losses, what would you suggest they do?
You know what to do; share your views in the comment section below.
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2 Responses
Its easy transnet must invest more in security they need to train their security and cut on the private security and they must use the service of Army and technology as well like drown and image wifi detector cameras and government must close down all the scrapyard other wise we are about to see a very unfortunate event on our economy
The only way to solve this problem of cable theft is to apply the method of President Kenyatta and close all Scrap yard.. do away with private security. Afriguard is sleeping on duty. They must pay for the lose because they are not doing the job.