Legislation to address cable theft

Wednesday, 18 April 2012 00:00 Written by Bonnie Tubbs
Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba is proposing a legislative review to ensure harsher punishment for those found guilty of cable theft, as a measure to deal with the crime.

In response to a question at the National Council of Provinces, the department said the minister did not make an announcement that cable theft be classified as economic sabotage; however, he does support the proposal to classify it as such.

Gigaba is proposing several legislative amendments to better deal with the issue of cable theft. The first is the inclusion of copper in the definition of precious metal as defined in the Precious Metal Act, 2005.

“The Act defines precious metal as gold, any metal of the platinum group and the ores of such metals, and any other metal that the minister of minerals and energy has declared by notice in the Gazette to be a precious metal,” says the department.

The second proposal is to amend the Second Hand Goods Act, 2009, to address gaps in the market into which the stolen metal and cable are disposed.