Durban - Brazen criminals have stolen three manhole covers outside the Durban metro police North Region Command in KwaMashu.
All that remains are gaping holes, one covered with two concrete blocks.
KwaMashu councillor Muziwenhlanhla Shezi said he reported the matter to the relevant department.
“If the lid’s metal, it could be stolen by vagrants and sold,” Shezi said.
He said his ward had a few drains with metal lids, most of which were concrete.
Last month, two men were arrested in New Germany for stealing a stormwater drain cover.
A resident reported the incident and a private security company and patrollers in the area arrested the men and handed them over to the police.
A BackChatter recently complained that manhole covers were taken off and left dangerous holes in the roads and pavements.
He said he saw open manholes in areas such as Merebank, South Coast Road and Clairwood.
“Some people collect metal honestly; then there are other unscrupulous people who are stealing metals,” he said.
The eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela, said it was suspected that drain lids were being sold to scrapyards around the city. He said the city planned to meet the owners of scrap \yards so they could work together to nip the problem in the bud.
“We also want to communicate to them (scrapyard owners) that accepting these items could have a negative impact on them, as they are heavily reliant on the city’s infrastructure to do their business”, Mayisela said.
“The city can confirm that the theft of drain lids is a noose around its neck. Every year we could be losing about R10million as a result of this unlawful conduct,” he said.
“This state of affairs has spurred the city into action. We’re now investigating using polymer in our new projects, and where these lids have been stolen.”
Mayisela appealed to the public to help the city guard its infrastructure, because if people failed to do so, it could have negative consequences for everyone.
The owner of a scrap metal business in Clairwood said his business was SAP- certified to trade as a second-hand goods dealer and recycler, and claimed he did not buy suspected stolen
goods.
“Any such incidences are reported to the relevant authority - SAPS, eThekwini, Eskom, Transnet, Telkom, etc,” he said.