The combating of cable theft in Durban railway stations.

Abstract

The seriousness of cable theft in South African communities cannot be ignored; it highly deserves attention and quick interventions. The associated damages caused by this scourge are irreversible to the infrastructure of Durban rail stations of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in particular. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) in Durban is currently losing billions of rands resulting from cable thieves vandalising railway stations. However, the impact of cable theft further hampers economic growth and business productivity, directly curbing job creation in the process, leaving many residents in the surrounding squatter camps compromised, since trains cause delays on the railway stations, leaving commuters with no means of transport to and from work. This study assesses the nature of cable theft in Durban railway stations, looking at probable contributory factors to this crime. The study further examines the existing strategies (and their effectiveness) in response to cable theft as well as the existing challenges faced by Durban railway stations in combating cable theft. This study adopted a qualitative research approach through the use of semi-structured interviews to solicit perceptions and experiences of PRASA ‘Security Personnels – Cable theft investigators and cable theft railway patrollers’ involved in preventing and combating cable theft in Durban railway stations. The findings of this study confirmed that cable theft in Durban railway stations is a serious crime and the investigations conducted by these personnel (cable theft investigators and cable theft railway patrollers) revealed that when cables are stolen, the rail service normally shuts down, causing train derailments, among other problems. Furthermore, the study found that scrap metal dealers are the key contributors to cable theft in Durban railway stations as well as the shortage of resources, which include lack of manpower or police visibility and installed cameras. Lastly, the study found that the police normally lose dockets handed to them by PRASA cable theft investigators and there is a lack of internal and external (SAPS) reporting structures. For recommendations, this study proposes that more attention must be paid to scrap metal dealers by offering strict rules on the issuing of trading licences. Furthermore, severe sentences for possible offenders should be practiced, and better working relations should be established, with more resources geared to security departments. The implementation of relevant stakeholders’ partnerships and a branded ‘Cable Theft Specialised Unit’ could also assist in combating cable theft. The amendments of the existing legislative frameworks and alignment with technological advances and improvements would be of great assistance as well to put a stop to this crime.