JANIS KINNEAR
Staff Reporter
THE COUNTRY’S economy loses R5 billion a year to copper theft, with Cape Town the largest source of export of the plundered metal.
This was revealed as the City of Cape Town’s Metal Theft Unit, known as the “Copperheads”, carried out three raids in Bonteheuwel yesterday. Also present was DA mayoral candidate Patricia de Lille, who hailed the members as “brave” for doing work that was potentially dangerous.
She said the city would continue ploughing resources into training for members in recognition of the unit’s success.
But, she said, the only unit of its kind in the country could lose its specialised status as Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa was calling for all police services to come under one umbrella.
“We will fight him to the highest court to prevent the unit from being shut down.”
De Lille said that the metro police were a central component in the city’s safety plan for the next five years.
Clamping down on scrapyards also helped root out drug supplies, often found at these “bucket shops” – businesses believed to be a fraud or scam – she said.
She appealed to residents, who sometimes tipped off members, to continue being the unit’s “eyes and ears” and to report any illegal activity.
The unit was formed in 1997 after the city identified a need for more focused operations to curb copper theft. It has grown from nine members to nearly 30, who oversee more than 300 000 street lights and 6 000 sub-stations while inspecting and raiding scrapyards.
Neil Arendse, the assistant chief responsible for the Copperheads, said fighting copper theft was a “mammoth task”.
Joint operations with the intelligence unit, said Arendse, sought to put an end to the lucrative market for copper sales.
Dogs had been trained to sniff out copper during raids.
The Copperheads were looking to buy a R1 million X-ray machine to scan shipping containers.
“Often when you open a container what is in front hides the stolen goods at the back.”
Arendse said copper was sold for export at R60 000 a ton. Some “bucket shops” even had signs warning that prices could vary as international markets fluctuated.
In 2007, about R70m in copper left the city. By the following year this figure had grown to R230m, all destined for countries such as China and Dubai.
Arendse said buyers were from developing countries where huge infrastructural projects were under way.
“Therefore it’s crucial that with our intelligence side we recruit informants to identify hot spots. If illegal scrapyards are eliminated, then we can close down the market… if there’s no market, there’s no drive to steal.”
About two tons of copper a year are confiscated, and there have been 150 arrests in the past two years.
Arendse said another trend was the theft of wheelie bins, the plastic of which was traded.
During the first raid yesterday at a house tipped as being a “new bucket shop”, he said the discovery of insulation wire in a yard was often evidence of cable theft.
Nearly 20 gas canisters were found in a corner of the yard. Arendse said these were a fire hazard and would be reported to fire services.
He said the city lost R6m a year repairing and replacing property damaged in copper thefts. “(Curbing) copper theft should become a South African priority.”