Condoning cable theft undermines economic justice

04 November 2015 - 02:07 By The Times Editorial

Blanket coverage of the student revolt over university fees, followed almost immediately by stories on the Economic Freedom Fighters' march on the JSE, meant "conventional" news items barely got a look-in over the past fortnight. One important event that received scant attention was the decision to proceed with murder charges against striking miners arrested for the killing of 10 people in the run-up to the Marikana massacre.Another was the passage of the Criminal Matters Amendment Bill through the National Assembly. If enacted - and properly enforced - the law would see cable thieves, scrap metal dealers and others who tamper with or steal essential infrastructure being jailed for up to 30 years or paying fines of up to R100-million.The harsh sentences proposed were criticised by civil society groups and, ironically, given its stated commitment to levelling the economic playing field, the EFF, which argued that the state was merely seeking to punish poor people desperately trying to survive.But the truth is that cable theft and the sabotage of essential infrastructure generally costs South Africa up to R7-billion a year.Cable thieves and rogue scrap metal dealers who launder and recycle stolen copper and other metals are organised criminals and are bleeding the country dry, depriving the state of precious funds that could be used to support cash-strapped universities, technical colleges and schools, improve healthcare and boost job-creation initiatives.It is one thing to demand economic justice for the poor and another entirely to condone criminal behaviour that has the effect of perpetuating inequality. Too many trains have been set alight by commuters angry that they are late, too many public buildings have been attacked by protesters seeking to press home their demands for better services.The task of building a better, more equal, society rests with all of us, rich and poor...

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