Paul Kirk
Parts of South Africa’s railway infrastructure are slowly being carted away piece by piece in shopping trolleys and home-made carts.
Durban’s unscrupulous scrap metal merchants have, in the past, been known to buy all manner of metal much of it clearly stolen. The latest target for scrap metal thieves in the city is the railway lines in Jacobs, south of Durban.
Spoornet confirmed that, in the past two weeks, nearly 3 000 steel springs were stolen from the line near Jacobs. These springs are used to secure railway lines to concrete sleepers. More than 2km of railway line were affected by the theft and severely weakened.
The theft was spotted by Spoornet officials who carry out regular safety inspections. No train was in danger of being derailed, but the pilfering has brought into sharp focus the threat to South Africa’s economy posed by petty theft.
Spoornet officials said that because of the increasing theft on their lines they have had to establish an elaborate network of informers and undercover agents. They are afraid that if they relax their vigilance, loss of life will be the inevitable result.
About 1400 springs are used to secure every kilometre of line. The springs cost Spoornet less than R12 each, and their scrap metal value is measured in cents but to the desperate a bucketload of springs is a tempting target.
A 25kg bucket of the springs may realise about R10 a fortune to some. The entire haul of 3 000 springs probably netted the thieves less than R250.
Mike Asefovitz, a representative for Spoornet, said while the theft was serious, it had not yet resulted in any trains being derailed.
Said Asefovitz: “Our lines are checked on a regular basis. Engineers go out on a daily basis and lines are checked. Trains are not in danger due to this theft, but the theft of railway infrastructure costs the economy an enormous amount every year. If a train is delayed while carrying goods to the harbour it could delay a ship and docking fees can be up to $25 000 per day.”
Spoornet concludes different types of contracts with customers and, in some cases, is liable for costs caused by delays. A delay in the delivery of perishables can turn a valuable load into worthless compost.
As Asefovitz explains: “Someone may steal R5 000 worth of cable, or R1 000 worth of track, but the penalties Spoornet may have to pay can run into a fortune. Entire businesses could fold or be terribly harmed if trains are delayed sufficiently due to theft.”
Spoornet’s undercover agents are also monitoring scrap-metal dealers and known metal thieves. The organisation has established a partnership with Telkom and Eskom to crack down on theft. Electrical cable used to power locomotives is a favoured target of the same criminal syndicates who steal telephone and electrical wire.
Entire railways lines have been stolen in the past. Said Asefovitz: “While the theft of entire railway lines is very isolated, it does happen. You will find it on railway lines that are very quiet on old branch lines and the like. Some people are desperate.”
He said theft of railway infrastructure on the whole is on the decrease.
“We have had great success of late in this regard. We have taken to going
into the communities and educating people about railway lines. We go out and teach them about the dangers of walking on the tracks and of ignoring level crossings and so on,” Asefovitz said.
“And we also take our security staff with us to educate communities about the danger of stealing from the railway lines. We now have many communities aboard who watch out for theft after we explain how a derailed train could cost them their families their mothers, fathers and children.”