Cape Town - Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has commended Western Cape Crime Intelligence for reaching a milestone in a search-and-seizure operation conducted in Belhar.
This after the retrieval of R3 million worth of stolen copper belonging to and identified by several state entities, including the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
Mbalula said the department has commended law enforcement officials for their tireless efforts in ensuring that the investigation was conducted successfully.
“Rebuilding Prasa as a valuable contributor to the mass movement of the poorest of the poor is a collective effort. We thank the whistle-blowers who report incidents of theft, we appreciate the security guards who, despite being vastly outnumbered at times, continue to stand watch throughout the night, and we applaud law enforcement officials who have not grown weary in their crime-fighting efforts,” said Mbalula.
He said vandalism and theft of Prasa infrastructure has cost the entity more than R2 billion to date, and he called for the harshest punishment for those responsible, saying justice must prevail.
Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said the matter was still under investigation.
United National Transport Union general secretary Steve Harris said the union condemned the theft and vandalism of anything belonging to any employer.
“If you steal from your employer, you are placing the jobs of every colleague at risk. The law must take its cause,” said Harris.
Cape Argus