Thieves have struck the refurbished Mthatha wastewater treatment works in South Africa, stealing a compressor machine from the chlorine room. The break-in occurred during the early hours of Sunday morning, with security personnel discovering the incident during a routine patrol at around 4am. The OR Tambo district municipality has confirmed that the incident is under investigation.
The municipality has already spent over R200m repairing vandalised water infrastructure and replacing stolen cables in water schemes over the past two years. This latest incident has raised concerns over the security of public infrastructure and the financial costs of theft and vandalism. District municipal spokesperson Ncebakazi Kolwane said the technical team is assessing the damage and determining the impact on plant operations.
The chlorine room houses equipment crucial to the disinfection stage of wastewater treatment, ensuring treated effluent meets required quality standards before discharge. The municipality's technical team will determine whether treatment capacity, process performance, or final effluent quality has been affected. Kolwane said the district authority will not speculate on the operational and environmental impact of the incident.
District mayor Mesuli Ngqondwana has urged those targeting public infrastructure to consider the wider consequences of their actions. He condemned the criminality and called on anyone with information to assist law enforcement authorities. Ngqondwana emphasised that public infrastructure belongs to everyone and protecting it must be a collective responsibility.
This is not the first time the Mthatha wastewater treatment works facility has been targeted by criminals. The facility has experienced previous break-ins and vandalism, after which the municipality refurbished the plant. The specific items stolen or damaged during previous incidents are still being verified from historical records.
The incident has been widely condemned, with Mthatha businessman and Eastern Cape Chamber of Business secretary-general Dr Andile Nontso describing the vandalism as sad. He suggested that deploying security and cameras in strategic points could help prevent future incidents. The SA Human Rights Commission has also expressed concern over infrastructure vandalism, citing its impact on socioeconomic rights.
The commission's report on infrastructure vandalism highlighted the significant financial costs of theft and vandalism, with estimated annual losses of over R45bn due to copper theft. The report urged organs of state to treat infrastructure protection as part of their constitutional responsibilities and for businesses to undertake human rights due diligence.
Key points
- The OR Tambo district municipality has spent over R200m repairing vandalised water infrastructure and replacing stolen cables in water schemes over the past two years.
- The break-in at the Mthatha wastewater treatment works has raised concerns over the security of public infrastructure and the financial costs of theft and vandalism.
- The SA Human Rights Commission has estimated that copper theft causes over R45bn in economic damage annually.
