During a media briefing on Tuesday (25 October), Transnet Freight rail said that cable theft spiked by 22% throughout the 12-day strike over wage disputes \u2013 further hobbling a service that has already cost exporters billions in rands.<\/p>\n
Even before the crippling labour strike that hit the group in October, Transnet was operating well below target due to shortages of locomotives, poor maintenance, a lack of spare parts for trains, copper cable theft and vandalism.<\/p>\n
For thieves, the strike merely made it more accessible. Transnet executives said that the latest cable theft resulted from low numbers of security staff, who were concentrated in areas of protest.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have lost 12 kilometres of cable during the strike. The theft occurred between Ladysmith and Pietermaritzburg, which is a major hotspot for cable thieves,\u201d said Transnet managing executive Rudzani Ligege.<\/p>\n
The theft has added to the freight rail company\u2019s existing maintenance backlog, which now sits in the billions of rands. Ligege said it would cost around R24 million to replace the 12 kilometres of stolen cable.<\/p>\n
This latest theft adds to the long list of incidences that have been reported, including those that occurred when Transnet was heavily impacted by the KwaZulu Natal floods, which saw the company shutting down its operations for over six weeks \u2013 delaying services and exposing it to further crime.<\/p>\n
Transnet\u2019s head of safety and security, Marius Bennett, said this is not just a Transnet issue, and relevant authorities need to step in.<\/p>\n
\u201cTransnet on its own cannot fight this [theft]. It\u2019s not an isolated Transnet incident, and we need the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Police onboard to assist. \u201cIf we get this right, we will turn the tide on these crimes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The prolonged strike action at Transnet has had a devasting toll on the economy, with the company essential to South Africa\u2019s export and import industry.<\/p>\n
Valuable commodities like iron, coal and other ores have not been able to move through the ports, and the latest spate of theft and vandalism is only making it harder for the embattled freight rail company to catch up on its export backlogs.<\/p>\n
The Minerals Council of South Africa said last week that the strike had cost the mining sector R6 billion a day, compounded on top of the R50 billion already lost by previous failings.<\/p>\n
Despite this, Transnet said it still aims to service 60 million tonnes of coal in its financial year through March 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are working tirelessly to continue the improvements that we started to see before the strike started,\u201d said Ali Motala, managing executive for Transnet Freight Rail\u2019s north corridor, which hauls thermal coal from mines to Richards Bay Coal Terminal.<\/p>\n