The increasing rate of theft of high value assets belonging to the eThekwini Municipality’s Electricity Unit has led to growing concerns that a syndicate is operating within the City, targeting the unit’s assets.
Recently, street lights were recovered near the Mozambique border and this month, six workers from the unit were fired for the theft of electricity cables.
The theft of the lights was largely seen at the time by senior officials as an inside job. They pointed out that the lights were new and had been in the stores for a short time before they were discovered at the border. The lights, said the officials, would have been removed by someone with knowledge of the unit’s store systems and policies.
“It is not just the lights that were recovered near the Mozambique border, it is cables, it’s cars that all seem to exit the province via the Mozambique border. Theft of expensive assets in the unit is very rife,” said the source.
“After the street lights were recovered, the municipality assembled a team to investigate how the theft occurred, that investigation is still ongoing,” they said.
The officials added that the theft of municipal assets was so rife in that unit, “that this month, six staff members, six, were fired after they were implicated in the theft of electricity cables.
“One of the reasons we are concerned that a syndicate might be operating is that all this seems organised and financed. The people who were arrested for the lights are supposedly self-employed people, but the legal representation suggests that they have some serious people backing them up.
“It makes you wonder where the money for such lawyers is coming from.
One of the people arrested is on record saying he is self-employed,” said the source.
Thabani Mthethwa, DA leader in eThekwini, said the concerns by senior City officials were not a surprise.
“The DA has always maintained that there is a syndicate working with some employees in the electricity department and water and sanitation department.
“We want this thoroughly investigated so that it is not the junior guys that take the fall, but we want to see the mastermind being arrested.
“The ANC must take the blame for this because they have allowed this culture to prevail because it serves their factional agenda,” said Mthethwa.
ADeC councillor Visvin Reddy said it was infuriating to learn that a possible syndicate was operating within the municipality, targeting the unit’s assets, adding that the people of Durban deserve better than a municipality that is engaging in criminal activities.
“The fact that six employees had to be fired for theft of cables, only after the stolen goods were recovered at the border, is indicative of a much larger and more insidious problem that is plaguing the eThekwini Municipality.
“It is time for the municipality to take immediate and decisive action to put a stop to these criminal activities.
“The municipality owes it to the people of Durban to conduct a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of these allegations. Heads must roll for this blatant act of corruption, and any individuals found guilty of wrongdoing must face the full force of the law.”
The municipality was contacted for comment about the concerns, the theft of its assets and the dismissal of workers.
However, it refused to comment, referring the matter to the police.
The Mercury