Government Halts Scrap Metal Exports in a Bid to Prevent Theft and Vandalism As Theft Costs SA Millions

• The government plans to ban scrap metal exports in a bid to limit copper theft in South Africa
• This comes as Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel revealed that scrape metal theft costs the economy R130m daily
• The government will also be implementing another measure to curd the scourge of scrap metal theft in the nation

CAPE TOWN- The government has taken drastic measures to end copper theft that is robbing the South Africa economy of billions. A six-month ban has been placed on the export of scrap and waste metal to make it harder for criminals to sell stolen materials.

Copper cable theft is a severe problem in South Africa that not only makes power outages worse and leaves trains stranded but also costs the South African economy approximately R130 million daily.

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Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel revealed during a media briefing in Cape Town that scrap metal theft is crippling the rail transport and electricity output to the point where production has suffered, economic growth has been inhibited, and service delivery has been stifled.

Patel added that the unintended effects of copper theft add up to a loss of R47 billion annually, far above the physical value of the stolen scrap metal, reported The Citizen.

Banning the export of scrap metal is not the only trick under the government's hat. On Wednesday, 30 November, other measures were announced, including a planned licensing system for copper trading, amendments to legislation already in place and proof of purchase for scrap metal purchased, News24 reported.

The trade minister added that police searches would also be conducted at logistics and distribution networks like ports to disrupt criminal syndicates.

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Gungubele admits Ramaphosa’s administration has fallen short in ending poverty and reducing inequality

In another story, Briefly New reported that Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele admitted that there is no doubt that the government has fallen short of goals to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030.

Gungubele made the admission on Thursday, 24 November, during a roundtable media discussion with the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluations (DPME).

The discussion was aimed at the bi-annual report on the progress, challenges and next steps for the DPME's implementation of Ramaphosa's administration's plan for the current electoral term, according to a statement released by the government.

Source: Briefly News