Cable theft wreaks havoc on SA
The thriving illicit market exploits this situation, resulting in the sale of stolen copper to scrap metal dealers both locally and internationally.
Recent statistics revealed by Transnet reported an astonishing 1 121 km of stolen cable within a single year.
Meanwhile, Eskom, the country's power utility, incurs colossal losses totalling R5.7 billion annually due to copper theft, along with an additional R2 billion to replace the stolen cables.
However, recent developments have provided a glimmer of hope.
On Thursday, 24 April, the Pinetown Magistrate's Court delivered a significant ruling that may restore public faith in the government's commitment to combat crime.
Nqobile Kubheka, a 27-year-old man caught in possession of stolen copper cables belonging to eThekwini Electricity Municipality and Telkom. He was sentenced to three years' imprisonment or a fine of R 20 000.
The Hawks from the Durban Serious Organised Crime Investigation arrested Kubheka after receiving a tip-off.
This conviction deserves commendation, but many believe it is simply a drop in the ocean when considering the overall scope of the problem. There are big fish involved in the illegal copper trade, those who operate these crimes from the shadows.
Stronger intelligence work targeting these ''big fish'' is desperately needed to nip the problem in the bud. Until the root causes are tackled, the criminal cycle is likely to persist.
Encouragingly, Transnet is exploring the use of advanced remote satellite technology as an alternative option to operate locomotives. This innovative approach holds the potential to significantly reduce the risk of copper cable theft while providing safer, more efficient transportation services across the country.
As South Africa navigates through this maze of criminality, hope remains that innovation, paired with rigorous law enforcement, will stem the criminal tide.
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The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
One murder, two court cases: chaos at Cape Town court
Five people are facing charges related to the murder of a retired teacher. The brutal kidnapping and murder of a retired teacher has caused confusion at the Cape Town Magistrates' Court. On 27 October 2024, Alison Dewar's body was found, stabbed to death, outside Philadelphia. Five people are facing charges related to the crime. But they are being tried in two separate cases, by different prosecutors, and investigated by different police units. There appears to be no communication between the teams. GroundUp has established that the current prosecutors in each case were unaware of the other case. Four people are charged with kidnapping, murder, theft of the victim's car, and defeating the ends of justice. But a fifth person has been charged with theft in a separate case. In November 2024, the state told the court it wanted to merge the two cases. ALSO READ: 'I was terrified' – Joburg woman recounts chilling driveway hijacking and kidnapping (VIDEO) But nine months later, this has not happened, and both cases have continued in parallel, and the merging of the cases has not been mentioned again. The police investigations have been beset by delays and inefficiencies, including delays in obtaining a postmortem report. The investigating officer in the murder case was reassigned to a less senior sergeant, with no explanation provided. In the car theft case, the accused appeared in court twice before an investigating officer was finally assigned and a docket was produced. Both cases have been postponed several times and will need to proceed to trial soon or risk being struck off. Dewar was a retired teacher who volunteered as a maths tutor at Rainbow of Hope, a non-profit organisation. A teacher at the organisation who worked with her, Shayner-Lee Wiese, told GroundUp she has little confidence in the state. 'This case is being handled as if it's not serious,' said Wiese, who has been attending the court hearings. 'Alison was someone who was committed to helping and caring for children. Does her death mean nothing?' Murdered for R5 000 Four days after her body was found, the police recovered Dewar's vehicle, a red 2024 Hyundai Creta, from the house of second-hand car salesman Obina Ugwuoke, who was arrested. Police then arrested Chukwudi Stanley and Isaac Okeowo, who were allegedly involved in stealing the car and selling it to Ugwuoke. Another person was also arrested, but charges against him were later withdrawn. A couple from Bellville, Marlon and Riani Macalagh, was also arrested. It is alleged that Dewar was murdered by the Macalaghs, who sold her car to a man called CJ for R3 000 in cash plus R2 000 worth of drugs. CJ is alleged to have sold the car to Ugwuoke for R20,000. Stanley apparently acted as a middleman for CJ, and Okeowo negotiated the price on behalf of Ugwuoke. CJ is said to have fled to Johannesburg and is still at large. It is unclear whether any attempts have been made to arrest him. First court appearance On 4 November 2024, the suspects appeared in court for the first time. Five of the accused – Stanley, Okeowo, the Macalaghs and the fifth man against whom charges were later withdrawn – were taken to the Atlantis Magistrates' Court. This was because the murder case was opened at the Philadelphia police station, which falls under Atlantis. They were charged with kidnapping, murder, theft and defeating the ends of justice. The court ruled that the case should be transferred to the Cape Town Magistrates' Court because the investigation was being led by the provincial Serious and Violent Crimes unit based in Cape Town. READ MORE: Three men found guilty for murder of would-be state witness Meanwhile, Ugwuoke was enrolled in a separate case from the other accused, and he was taken to the Cape Town Magistrates' Court, where he was charged with theft of the car. It emerged in court that no investigating officer had been assigned to the case. It was only at his third court appearance that an investigating officer was assigned, and the docket was finally disclosed to the court. Neither the Saps nor the NPA answered questions from GroundUp on why there were two separate cases for the same crime. Chaos in the court Both cases appeared before Magistrate Theart in the Cape Town Magistrates' (District) Court on 11 November. When Ugwuoke appeared in court, prosecutor Oliver Bulana told the court that his case would be added to the main murder case with the other suspects (but nine months later, this has not happened). There was still no docket, and no investigating officer had been assigned. Nonetheless, the court proceeded with bail proceedings, and Ugwuoke was released on bail for R10000. When the five accused in the murder case appeared later in the day, chaos ensued. The prosecutor told the court he was not sure what the next steps were in the case and that he would have to take instructions from a senior prosecutor. Senior prosecutor Johan Swart then came to address the court. READ MORE: DA accuses Saps of 'dismissive attitude, rudeness and lack of empathy' at police stations It emerged that the magistrate in Atlantis had used the wrong forms to transfer the case to the Cape Town Magistrates' Court – the forms said the matter was transferred to the regional court rather than the district court. So Magistrate Theart adjourned the matter, saying that the case could not appear before her in the district court. Late in the afternoon, the matter appeared in the Cape Town Regional Court before Magistrate Amori Graf, and the case was postponed. Two court appearances later, a bail hearing was held on 28 November, by which time charges against the fifth accused had been withdrawn. The Macalaghs decided not to apply for bail, but Stanley and Okeowo did apply, and they were released on R5 000 bail each. After the bail hearing, the senior investigating officer was reassigned and replaced by a junior colleague – a sergeant at the serious and violent crimes unit. Several postponements In the following months, there was a series of postponements in both cases. In the Ugwuoke car theft case, the matter was postponed five times between January and August this year. In March, the state said they were waiting for cellphone records to be analysed, and in June, the state said further evidence had to be obtained because there was a USB drive that had become corrupted. At the most recent court appearance, on 14 July, the trial was set down to begin in the regional court on 28 August. In the murder, kidnapping and theft case where the other four stand accused, the matter was postponed four times between February and August. READ MORE: Police can't say why they let an alleged rapist off the hook In April, the prosecutor told the court that they were still waiting for the postmortem report, about six months after the murder. Marlon Macalagh also applied for a bed at Valkenburg Psychiatric Hospital to be assessed to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial. On 22 July, he was still on the waiting list. Only after his medical report is received will the trial be able to go ahead. This reporter asked the prosecutors in each case if they were aware of the other case. Both answered no. Neither the NPA nor Saps responded to GroundUp's questions. This article was republished from GroundUp under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here.
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Transnet added as defendant in R1. 5 injury claim
The Western Cape High Court added Transnet as a defendant in a matter where a woman is claiming damages after she fell into a manhole at a station in Cape Town. Image: File The Western Cape High Court ruled that Transnet be added as a defendant in a damages claim of nearly R1.5 million by a Cape Town woman who fell into a manhole at a train station. The question arose as to who the manhole belonged to. The City, against whom Maureen Hendricks issued her summons for damages, was adamant that the manhole did not fall under its jurisdiction. In an interlocutory application, the court was asked that Transnet Limited be added as a party to the pending action instituted by Hendricks, who said she suffered severe injuries when she fell into an open, unprotected manhole on August 17, 2022. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The City filed a special plea of misjoinder and non-joinder, averring that the manhole in question is part of Transnet's infrastructure, specifically a boundary inspection chamber at the Stikland Train Station. Transnet, on the other hand, denies ownership or responsibility for the manhole, contending that it is situated on a public sidewalk and forms part of the City's sewer installation. Following the incident, the City, however, did cover the manhole. The City, meanwhile, filed a notice to abide by this application that Transnet should be joined as a party. Judge Gayaat Da Silva Salie said it is in dispute whether the manhole is part of municipal infrastructure or Transnet infrastructure. 'As I see it and, in my view, if Transnet is not joined and the City is found not liable on the basis that the manhole belongs to Transnet, the applicant (Hendricks) would be compelled to institute separate proceedings against Transnet, possibly raising prescription defences and duplicating factual inquiries.'
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Former ANC MP Vincent Smith denied R2m for legal defence in fraud case
Former ANC MP Vincent Smith, pictured here appearing in court, has been unsuccessful in his bid to access just over R2 million to fund his defence in his upcoming criminal trial. Image: Supplied Fraud and corruption-accused former ANC MP Vincent Smith has suffered a major blow after he was refused access to over R2 million to fund his defence in the looming criminal trial. The former chairperson of the National Assembly's Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services is facing charges that he received payments totalling R600,000 from former Bosasa (now African Global Operations) chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi, who is his co-accused in the matter alongside Smith's company, Euroblitz 48. The 65-year-old Smith and Euroblitz 48 together face seven counts of corruption and 18 of fraud, as well as money laundering and offences relating to the Tax Administration Act. Smith maintains that the funds were a loan and had electric fencing and a security system installed in one of his properties in Johannesburg by Bosasa. In addition, Agrizzi also facilitated payments totalling R277,000, and some of the funds were used to pay for Smith's daughter's studies abroad in tranches between R10,000 and R220,000. Smith failed to declare the benefits he received from Bosasa as required of all members of Parliament by the Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members' Interests. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) also accuses Smith of trying to return the favour to Bosasa by rubbishing a high-level probe into tender fraud at the Department of Correctional Services conducted by the Special Investigating Unit when the matter came before the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services, which he chaired in Parliament at the time. Earlier this year, the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, Acting Deputy Judge President Thifhelimbilu Mudau dismissed with costs Smith's application for the release of funds in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca) for legal expenses in his criminal trial limited to R2m. Smith's two properties registered at the Johannesburg and Pretoria deeds registries were placed under a preservation order granted in April 2021, in accordance with Poca. The application was brought by National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi and dealt with the properties and was meant to safeguard them to satisfy a possible confiscation order to the value of nearly R47m. Smith disclosed a monthly pension from his annuity of R88,459 after tax deductions and R7,500 from property rental. He explained that his actual expenses amounted to R77,545 a month, which left him with a surplus of approximately R18,415 monthly. Smith complained that the amount was inadequate to fund his trial for the anticipated entire term and insisted that he had made a full disclosure of all assets relating to the determination of the value of realisable property. However, Batohi told the court that Smith has never filed any application for living and legal expenses since the restraint order was granted, and admitted he could meet his expenses from unrestrained assets. She said Smith saved over R18,000 a month for the last four-and-a-half years since he was arrested and could have had nearly R1m available towards his legal expenses, but instead continued with his exorbitant monthly expenses. The exorbitant monthly expenses include R11,550 on credit cards and overdrafts, R16,500 on groceries, R7,200 on rent, despite owning properties, R8,100 on a domestic helper and garden services, R2,098 on a cellphone, R2,000 for clothing, R1,480 for satellite television, R899 for Wi-Fi, R5,500 on petrol while he is unemployed, R9,000 for medical fees, R1,000 on his tithe, and R3,200 on printing. Additionally, the court heard that Smith's disclosed income and expenses increased exponentially between the period May 2023 to March 2025, and he failed to provide a declaration of the increase in his income and/or expenses or supporting documents in support of the increase. Smith failed to challenge the allegation that his income and/or expenses had increased, and his legal representative argued that the failure to file a replying affidavit was merely a mistake. Judge Mudau also dismissed with costs his application for leave to appeal, for which he provided reasons on Tuesday this week. Smith indicated that the court erred in reading into the clear provisions of Poca that he must make a full declaration of his assets and liabilities. 'The application for leave to appeal is wholly unmerited,' ruled Judge Mudau. On Thursday, Smith said he is yet to discuss the way forward with his legal team and has nothing to say at this point. Henry Mamothame, spokesperson for the NPA's Investigative Directorate Against Corruption, said Smith's criminal trial is set down for October at the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg.
