Cape Town 'killing cable thieves'

daveza

daveza

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http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?op...icle&id=48976:cape-town-killing-cable-thieves

The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) will be laying charges against the Democratic Alliance (DA) for “trying to kill copper thieves”.

The federation says it will report deputy Cape Town mayor Alderman Ian Neilson's plans to electrocute copper cable thieves to the Public Service Commission and the Human Rights Commission.

“Cosatu will also lay charges at the police station about the DA's intention to do grievous bodily harm, through the policy of the City of Cape Town.”

Nielsen, during a radio interview, confirmed that the city leaves on electricity for streetlights during the day, in some areas, to deter thieves from stealing the copper.
“This clearly is with the intent to electrocute the thieves. There has, however, been no notice sent out telling people that the electricity will be live with current. During the day, people generally expect the electricity to be off, and so people, including kids, try to steel copper to get money,” says Cosatu.
It explains that this is not an attempt to justify theft, but to caution against the intention to try and kill copper thieves by leaving the current on.
Several years ago, the border fence was electrified and people trying to cross the fence to get into SA were killed, according to the federation. Getting into the country may have been illegal, but it was found to be a crime when the lives of people were endangered, where they could be injured or killed.
“For Nielsen to say this on public radio is an outrage and the city administration must be held to account for this.”

Neilson says the city rejects Cosatu's comments “with contempt”.
“The characterisation of copper thieves as a bunch of innocent children shows how far Cosatu is removed from reality. The thieves are criminals who deserve to be dealt with harshly.

“They are criminals, not only because they cost the citizens of Cape Town millions, but also because they endanger the lives of pedestrians and vehicle occupants when street lights are off for extended periods along dark roads and dangerous intersections. These are the real innocents whose lives are placed in danger by copper thieves.”
He adds that the matter of cable theft is taken very seriously.
“Leaving street lights on during the day is not standard practise. It is a last resort measure to deter thieves, and is only employed in areas where the city has experienced high incidents of cable theft.”

Copper theft and vandalism have cost Cape Town in excess of R10 million over the last six months.
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Cosatu have gone completely mad.
 
I've only read the bold parts, but I am on the City's side here.
 
My jaw just dropped! Now they're complaining that the thieves can't steal the copper because the electricity is left on and their lives are in danger! You have got to me fckn kidding me!!! :eek::eek:

The thieves deserve to be electrocuted!
 
Oh dammit... I was hoping they were actually going to electrocute the thieves.

Quite disappointing actually.
 
Wow, are there notices on cash vans saying " There are people with guns inside who will shoot you if you try and rob it " ?
 
I am not sure if Tony has been quoted out of context, but the way the article reads makes for a huge cheek on his behalf, as ratepayers, taxpayers, consumers of electricity have been hard hit during the recession, things are just costing more outpacing our earning capacity. Electricity is now costing me 3 times more than it did 3 or 4 years ago and I am not using anything more than I did before.

One of the attributes to the heavy cost of electricity is cable theft. Another is the new policy of scaled billing which does help the poor people, but places the burden on the working class, business, as wherever you give you need to take somewhere else, meaning we all get to pay for the luxury of everyone getting electricity whether they can afford it or not or even deserve it for that matter.

I have found Tony to be nothing other than a sheeet stirrer. Why does he not go out to these places where the copper has been stolen and do something about it and stop it permanently, then we wouldn't even be debating the issue.
Tony should be petitioning his comrades in Government to stop the sale of illegal copper, if he wants to do something meaningful and lasting. I cannot fathom why the illegal sale of copper has been allowed to go on for so long?
 
South Africa: where thievery is a union protected trade. WTF!?
 
There has, however, been no notice sent out telling people that the electricity will be live with current.
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Wouldn't the glowing streetlight be a clear indication?
 
bwana said:
Wouldn't the glowing streetlight be a clear indication?
Click to expand...

I don't see the connection. It is a known fact the tokolosh only protects the cables with the invisible fire that makes dead after sunset however.
 
I had up until now not known that this was why the municipality keeps some lights on during the day. Makes perfect sense now. Up until this point I had chocked it up to ineptitude.
 
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