The King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality (KSD) has spent more than R34m repairing electricity infrastructure damaged by vandalism and cable theft since January, as repeated attacks continue to disrupt the supply of power across Mthatha.
Officials say the damage — including the torching of mini substations and kiosks — is part of a growing pattern of deliberate sabotage that is straining the municipality’s finances and undermining service delivery.
The scale of the losses was revealed by technical services director Unathi Mnqokoyi during an emergency meeting convened by mayor Nyaniso Nelani after widespread outages over the Easter weekend.
Several areas, including Southernwood, Bhongweni and Zimbane Valley, were left without power, triggering anger among residents and business owners.
These criminal actions are undermining service delivery, placing enormous pressure on financial resources and eroding public confidence
— Nyaniso Nelani, KSD mayor
Nelani said what initially appeared to be a technical fault was quickly identified as deliberate damage to infrastructure.
“Upon investigation, our technical teams discovered that critical infrastructure had been deliberately tampered with.
“In Southernwood, a ring main unit was set alight and there was further damage to cables feeding a substation,” he said.
“These are not ordinary system failures but acts of vandalism and sabotage.”
He warned that the attacks were not isolated incidents but part of a broader trend.
“These criminal actions are undermining service delivery, placing enormous pressure on financial resources and eroding public confidence,” Nelani said.
Residents in affected areas accused the municipality of failing to protect infrastructure and respond quickly to outages, with some questioning whether enough was being done to safeguard the funds paid by ratepayers.
Nelani acknowledged the frustration.
“We are fully aware of the impact this has had on households, small businesses, on safety and on general functioning of our community,” he said.
In response, the municipality has established a specialised multi-agency task team to focus on infrastructure-related crime.
The team includes municipal law enforcement officials, police and private security companies.
Additional measures include the installation of 104 CCTV cameras in identified hotspots across Mthatha, Mqanduli and Coffee Bay, particularly around critical infrastructure.
Nelani said patrols had been intensified and deployment strategies adjusted to better protect key assets.
“Let me be clear, those who vandalise electricity infrastructure are not only committing a crime against the municipality but against the entire community,” he said.
“They are disrupting livelihoods, affecting economic activity and placing lives at risk.”
Community policing forums are also expected to be activated in areas including Fort Gale, Southridge, Northcrest and Mthatha central as part of efforts to involve residents in protecting infrastructure.
KSD protection services general manager Bonga Vice said arrests had been made since the problem escalated about three years ago, with some cases now being handled by the Hawks.
He said authorities had identified at least two syndicates operating in the area — one targeting infrastructure through arson and vandalism, and another focused on stealing and selling components.
Though he did not provide figures, Vice said a significant number of suspects arrested were foreign nationals.
Community activist Zolisa Madikizela said the electricity challenges in the Eastern Cape town were longstanding and required a more sustained response.
“By now, they should have a way to deal with these problems,” she said.
“I have been suggesting that they employ more law enforcement officials in the municipality to increase visibility in and around Mthatha.”
Nelani said the municipality could not address the issue alone and called on residents, businesses and community leaders to assist in reporting suspicious activity.
“The protection of our infrastructure requires a collective effort,” he said.
Daily Dispatch
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