Ingenious Durbanite caught making traditional pots from stolen copper
A KwaZulu-Natal man has been caught red-handed in this ingenious but illegal business.
A scrap dealer's business in the Ntuzuma neighbourhood, north of Durban, has been closed down after he was caught using stolen infrastructure.
Guess you can say his business is scrapped now.
The eThekwini Municipality reported that the suspect was caught manufacturing three-legged pots by using copper and cables allegedly stolen from the municipality and Transnet.
See the post shared by the municipality below:
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The bust was part of a joint operation by police, the Passenger Rail Agency of SA, Transnet, Telkom and Eskom.
The theft of municipal infrastructure has been a headache for towns and city's across the country for the longest time. Often goods are sold at low cost with no questions asked.
However, this ingenious use of the metal scraps has Mzansi shook.
Many South Africans took to social media to share their sentiments:
- "Wow, while not condoning the stealing, if only their innovation could be fostered with legitimate access to materials."
- "Never thought these pots would be made out of stolen metal."
- "This couldn't have been an easy endeavour. If only their skills were not accompanied by illegal activity."
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The municipality said the suspects were nabbed following a tip-off from members of the community.
“The task team received a tip-off and conducted a raid at a house in Ntuzuma. Stripped copper cables were discovered in the yard,” the municipality said.
The suspects will face various charges related to the theft of municipal infrastructure when they appear in court.
The police has again urged members of the community to report such acts.
"They compromise the quality of life for residents. Community members must not look away when they are aware of syndicates involved in cable theft as it disrupts the provision of service."
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Image courtesy of Ethekwini Municipality