The City of Cape Town (CoCT) has introduced an Energy Safety Team to assist law enforcement agencies and the South African Police Service (SAPS) in protecting critical electricity infrastructure within the metro.

“In recent months, we have seen an increase in vandalism, theft and illegal connections,” says CoCT Energy MMC Beverley van Reenen.

“Most alarmingly, we have seen an increase in the number of incidents taking place under the cover of darkness, placing a large strain on our energy teams and leaving communities in the dark for longer.

“In the current financial year, we have set aside an additional budget in our fight against vandalism and the theft of energy infrastructure,” she notes.

“The Energy Safety team’s operating regime will consist of patrolling red zones in the metro.

“These are areas that we have identified as hot spots for electricity infrastructure crimes.

“The city’s Electricity Department monitors the data on a monthly basis, and we use that information to guide our resources towards clamping down on these incidents.

“We will also support the newly appointed officers with admin and technical support so they can effectively dispatch their duties.”

Van Reenen says the city also needs residents to play their part by reporting illegal activity near infrastructure, including streetlights, to the city and the SAPS.

“Concerns for our employees’ safety has often resulted in a delayed response to power failures across the metro,” adds CoCT Safety and Security MMC JP Smith.

“This dedicated team of law enforcement officers will also be focused on keeping employees safe while they work on restoring our city’s power.

“The Energy Unit will be integrated with other teams such as the Metal Theft Unit to ensure critical energy infrastructure is protected.”

The city says it welcomes any anonymous tip-offs, with R5 000 offered for any information that leads to arrests.