(31/03) Copper theft falls to R16,5m in February after January spike

March 31, 2011

Copper theft levels decreased to R16,5-million in February, after spiking to R20,5-million in January, according to the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) copper theft barometer.

The theft levels were fairly stable at between R16-million and R18-million a month for the period June to December 2010, and amounted to R259-million during 2010. However, Sacci reported that a consistent trend remained illusive, despite the ongoing efforts of the affected organisations and law enforcement agencies to identify a trend.

The barometer measures and monitors the copper cable theft experiences of Transnet, Telkom, and Eskom on a monthly basis to raise general awareness of the problem, engage public participation in combating it and encourage individuals to be ambassadors for the antitheft campaign.

The industry body believed that the variation in the global copper price was a key contributor to the decline in theft activity from January to February 2011. From mid-December 2010 to January 2011, the global copper price hovered between $9 500/t and $10 000/t, while it was in the range of $9 000/t to $9 500/t from February to March 2011.