Chairperson, just last night thousands of commuters travelling out of the Cape Town CBD by rail were stranded for hours, causing panic and frustration for many. This has become a daily norm, largely due to cable theft. At the same time, the introduction of a modernised, high-tech rail system, namely the Gautrain, has been subjected to the same disruptions, also due to cable theft. This is costing the country billions of rand.
All industrial cables have a laser serial number that can be traced back to the original owner. The ID therefore calls upon the South African government to pass stricter rules and regulations governing those in possession of export licences. The police and all ports of entry must strictly enforce these regulations before any cables are exported.
If we are not able to control these illegal exports, then we might even have to consider imposing an outright ban on the export of scrap copper. As a government, we are losing the war on copper theft. This poses a major threat to our economy.
Ek wil beklemtoon dat, as ons nie die geveg of die stryd teen die uitvoer van onwettige koper kan wen nie, ons net sowel die uitvoer van koper in sy totaliteit kan verbied. Ons is besig om die stryd teen koperdiefstal te verloor, en dit kos ons land baie geld. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[I want to emphasise that, if we cannot win the battle against the export of illegal copper, we may just as well ban the export of copper altogether. We are losing the battle against copper theft, and it is costing our country a lot of money.]
The ID calls for the government's urgent intervention in order to prevent the Gautrain from becoming yet another multibillion rand white elephant.
After all the publicity, it would be a crying shame if our Springbok rugby team were to be stranded tomorrow en route to the O R Tambo International Airport due to disruptions to the Gautrain service. I thank you. [Applause.]