An entire squad is now dedicated to preventing electricity-related crimes in the City of Cape Town! The new Energy Safety Team has been unleashed and is ready to rumble… the only question is, can they stop the country’s arch-nemesis Eishkom?
Cape Town, South Africa (25 May, 2023) — In the battle between the lights on and loadshedding, cable theft and other electric infrastructure-related crimes couldn’t come at a worse time. Power has become the hottest commodity in our country (in more ways than one) and energy sources need extra protection from all fronts. Cue the City of Cape Town’s new Energy Safety Team!
The COCT recently announced the launch of its energy-inspired boots on the ground which will work with local Law Enforcement channels and the police to add an extra layer of protection for city electricity infrastructure against theft and damage.
This is a follow-through of a promise made by the City earlier this year as part of Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis’s ‘Building Hope’ budget speech, which said it would help make Cape Town safer, and other promises to support law enforcement.
“The City’s new Energy Safety Team will greatly assist in protecting critical City electricity infrastructure in our communities,” shared Mayco member for Energy, Councillor Beverley van Reenen.
She added:
“The launch of the City’s new Energy Safety team is a testament to our commitment to improving service delivery in communities and will assist in reducing the safety risks of officials while on duty. The Energy Safety team’s operating regime will further consist of patrolling red-zones in the metro.
“These are areas, which we have identified as hotspots 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.”
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