Using technology alone to find a solution is not adequate because crime is a socio-economic challenge and not a technical problem. However, Libya in north Africa is another country that is experiencing a copper theft problem. She is the Senior Content Producer across media brands including ESI Africa, Smart Energy International, Power Engineering International and Mining Review Africa. The impact of South Africa’s copper cable theft scourge is personal. The courts are also taking this crime seriously and significant sentences are being handed out to perpetrators. According to the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s copper theft barometer, copper theft costs the economy between R5 billion ($415 million) and R7 billion ($581 million) a year. Bombardier Inc.'s high-tech rail project in South Africa has been a popular success, but it has sometimes been ground to a halt by a mundane problem: the theft of copper cables from its railway lines. In an Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Insurance Crime Bureau, FBI, New York Times. 0 comments Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. (AFP picture) Copper theft decreased in May, the SA Chamber of … The purpose of this study was to gather relevant data to underpin and to identify the nature of copper cable theft in Gauteng as the economic hub of South Africa and to understand which specific risk factors inhibit the mitigation of copper cable theft. Copper cable theft has become a national crisis, threatening essential supporting services and life preserving assets. Paint Copper Black. Data was collected from literature sources as well as from security professionals combating copper theft. Key terms: Crime prevention; copper cable theft; copper theft; copper thieves; security measurements; Second-Hand Goods Act`s; Non-ferrous metal. Acta Criminologica : African Journal of Criminology & Victimology, Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Extent and impact of copper cable theft in Gauteng, Website © 2020 Sabinet All Rights reserved. According to the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s copper theft barometer, copper theft costs the economy between R5 billion ($415 million) and R7 billion ($581 million) a year. * Scrap metal theft is also a significant problem in the United Kingdom and South Africa. Note to editors: The following document outlining the DA's plan to combat copper theft was released today at the Gautrain's Malboro Station in Johannesburg. With improved legislation and tougher sentences, Eskom believes that the theft and vandalism to critical network infrastructure will ultimately cease. Elvey has pioneered a wireless video security system known as Videofied, manufactured by RSI Video Technologies, to combat South Africa’s copper crisis with a no-nonsense approach. Very little, if any scientific academic research has so far been conducted concerning the impact of copper cable theft on organisations and on the country as a whole. While output is traditionally dominated by Zambia, South Africa and Katanga Province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, many African nations contribute to copper production, and many African nations have undeveloped ore resources. Bindeman says while South Africa has … Copyright © 2014, Criminological and Victimological Society of Southern Africa (CRIMSA):All rights reserved. South Africa's building industry is booming - but so is the lucrative "organised crime" business of copper theft from construction sites. Globeleq expanding into Nigerian power business, Ed’s note: The new heyday for coal in the energy transition, Optimised energy management delivers efficiency at Fekola gold mine, Energy system planning must include research into health says EEG. The respondents selected were all non-ferrous metal mitigation specialists in Gauteng, who have had the most valid experiences pertaining to copper cable theft. Eskom aluminium conductors; replacing all normal bolts on pylons with anti-theft bolts; engraving support lattices on steel pylons with Eskom’s name on the steel; installing alarms on overhead lines in such a way that if the line is cut or tampered with, the alarm goes off in the control room and the reaction unit is immediately dispatched to the location. IN THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA, FREE STATE DIVISION, BLOEMFONTEIN. South Africa is experiencing a rapid increase in the criminal act of cable theft. Copper theft in South Africa is estimated to cost the country about R5-billion per year. Lifestyle audits await senior execs at power utility, Tips and tricks on making your home office more comfortable. 2007:91). The extensive use … Copper is used in homes, by utilities and for a number of industrial processes, and increasingly, thieves are going after the metal anywhere … At this Workshop about 28 senior security management delegates, presented themselves at an open forum as experts and critical role-players in the copper cable theft environment. The estimated loss due to copper theft is approximately R5 … In his reply, Gordhan did not put any figure on the extent of the problem. To explore and to describe the extent and the impact of copper cable theft. The researchers used purposive sampling in order to collect information specifically relating to copper cable theft in Gauteng and the factors that could contribute or mitigate such occurrences. Police in Carneys Point made an arrest on March 23 in connection to 20 copper thefts throughout the township and only three of those 20 were reported, according to Dt. Elvey Security Technologies has partnered with other players in the security industry to help curb this growing copper theft epidemic. Elvey Security Technologies has partnered with other players in the security industry to help curb this growing copper theft epidemic. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Thieves sometimes have to go through the fibre to get to the copper, or they don’t know whether a cable is copper of fibre before they’ve cut it open. The purpose of this study was to gather relevant data to underpin and to identify the nature of copper … Bench Marks does not currently have a Geiger counter, but even the Chamber of Mines of South Africa admits that radioactive contamination is a “major problem”. Understanding that copper theft is a very real problem is an important first step in protecting your community organization from copper theft, but there are more steps that can be taken to avoid this growing problem. 2267 days ago ‘Govt. Op-ed: What will Joe Biden’s presidency mean for Africa? A signed informed consent document has been obtained from all participants included in the study. First, the fall in global demand for platinum and other minerals due to recession; second, the consequences of the Marikana disaster in destabilising labour relations; and third, the structural character of our mining industry. Crime in South Africa includes all violent and non-violent crimes that take place in the country of South Africa, or otherwise within its jurisdiction.Crime levels have been attributed to poverty, problems with delivery of public services, and wealth disparity. “It was not clear whether the upward trend is due to greater demand, an increase in the price during the past months or to more lax implementation and policing of the Second Hand Goods Act, … “Since the beginning of the 2004 spike in copper prices, copper theft and copper prices have been directly linked,” a 2010 US Department of Energy study on copper wire thefts … A focus group interview of 28 senior security managers was also conducted in Gauteng in 2011. According to South African Police Services, copper cables are mainly stolen from the mines, Transnet, Telkom, Eskom and municipalities. Copper cable theft has become a national crisis, threatening essential supporting services and life preserving assets. A great deal has been written about the first two … In fact, it is a problem that haunts the US Department of Energy year after year, with reports estimating $1 billion worth of damage every single year due to copper thefts. Following a relative quite crime period during the 2013 festive period in South Africa, copper cable theft attempts at mines have risen sharply, with scrap dealers back in business again from mid January 2014. 2. Theft of copper cables -- already a perennial problem in South Africa -- “is very high during load shedding,” said Isaac Mangena, a spokesman for … It cost to South African economy about R5-billion a year and copper cable theft between Anglo American Corporation of South Africa and the UK’s Imperial Chemicals Industries (ICI) (a forerunner of what is today the multinational company, Cytec Solvay) (Tumilty et al., 1977). This article is a shortened overview representing the views and experience of Dolf Scheepers on copper theft on South African mines. Copper Theft Barometer compiler, Pietman Roos, says the problem with copper theft is that a single incident can lead to multimillion rand damages. According to the draft charge sheet, they face 189 charges, which include theft of the copper cables, racketeering, malicious damage to property and money laundering. The theft continuously disrupts and degrades services, such as the power supply provided by Eskom and the telecommunication services by Telkom. Statistics suggest that crime affects primarily the poorest of South Africans. Who Profits from Copper Theft? 2267 days ago ‘Govt. Ashley Theron-Ord is based in Cape Town, South Africa at Clarion Events-Africa. The Democratic Alliance (DA) today announces its plan to deal with the ongoing copper theft crisis. South Africa is a world-leader in mining. Copper is one of the world's most important industrial minerals, and Africa is an important world producer. Reports suggest copper cable theft is costing the country between R5bn and R16bn a year, with tens of thousands of instances of the crime taking place in South Africa’s economic heartland, Gauteng. © All content copyright 1997 - 2020 Clarion Energy, unless specified otherwise. First, the fall in global demand for platinum and other minerals due to recession; second, the consequences of the Marikana disaster in destabilising labour relations; and third, the structural character of our mining industry. Predictions 2021: Part one, ‘Hydrogen can unlock untapped renewables’, Ted Blom on Eskom outlook: 2021 will be worst year ever, Nigeria: Confusion about the latest electricity tariffs increase, KenGen invites consultants to provide ancillary services. Replacing stolen copper cables, alone, costs Eskom in the region of R2 billion ($166 million) a year. Cable theft is a major problem in South Africa – with a huge impact on the overall economy. Very little, if any scientific academic research has so far been conducted concerning the impact of copper cable theft on organisations and on the country as a whole. Leon van den Berg explained that copper theft is a major challenge facing the Eskom network that consists of 395 419 km of overhead lines, 11 018 km of underground cable and 351 297 installed transformers. The current turbulence in the mining industry in South Africa has its roots in several different factors. There is little doubt that copper cable theft is a growing problem in South Africa, particularly for the electricity, telecommunications, and railway parastatals Eskom, Telkom, and Transnet. The Institute for Security Studies also … South Africa is facing a major problem with copper theft and has a negative impact on all citizens. Replacing stolen copper cables, alone, costs Eskom in the region of R2 billion ($166 million) a year. But while these may be an unusual experience for many people, the problem of copper theft is not new. According to the power utility’s Security Risk Management division, the fight against infrastructure theft is being addressed by means of intelligence-driven investigations by the Hawks, a division of the South African Police Services (SAPS), which encompasses aggressive policing of the scrap metal market for stolen goods. Initiatives being put in place by the power utility to prevent such theft include, among others, replacing copper conductors with aluminium; placing unique markings on all. The provision of security services on mines in South Africa is complex in a country consistently portraying complexity, intolerance and political rivalry in various sectors. The theft of copper cables remains a widespread problem in South Africa, resulting in service outages for ADSL customers as well as power outages for many citizens… 1.1.1 The research problem Crime in South Africa has been a topic of concern for the government since 1994. Enter your email address below and we will send you your username, If the address matches an existing account you will receive an email with instructions to retrieve your username, Enter your email address below and we will send you the reset instructions, If the address matches an existing account you will receive an email with instructions to reset your password. cable theft and the number of cases increasing year by years. A joint industry working group, formed by Eskom, Transnet, Telkom, the SAPS, the National Prosecuting Authority and the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also continues to contribute positively in the fight against this crime. Bindeman says while South Africa has … The criminal threat to the mining industry “is thus becoming a threat to South Africa’s national growth and economic future” (ibid:105). Elvey has pioneered a wireless video security system known as Videofied, manufactured by RSI Video Technologies, to combat South Africa’s copper crisis with a no-nonsense approach. Copper Theft Barometer compiler, Pietman Roos, says the problem with copper theft is that a single incident can lead to multimillion rand damages. The first commercial aldoxime extractants were produced for use in copper SX and exhibited many advantages in extracting power, kinetics, and SACCI believes that copper theft is driven by the cyclical price of copper, by general crime levels, and by policing efficacy. Very little, if any scientific academic research has so far been conducted concerning the impact of copper cable theft on organisations and on the country as a whole. Sgt. 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