South Africa's Vodacom said its base stations in Mpumalanga region are increasingly being targeted for theft and vandalism. The Operator has over a thousand base stations in that province, many of which are in isolated areas.
The criminals are targeting these base stations to steal diesel, power cables and mainly batteries. Vodacom said it has ramped up the fight against this criminal activity, implementing new measures to make sure that the thieves are caught and prosecuted.
Vodacom Mpumalanga said it has been working closely with the law-enforcement authorities and the renewed security programme has already resulted in a significant number of arrests.
Vodacom is appealing to ordinary members of the community to report incidents of battery theft or site vandalism by calling our toll free number: 0822419952 or SAPS on 10111.
Zakhele Jiyane, Managing Exective, Vodacom Mpumalanga
It is estimated that local cellphone network providers lose hundreds millions of rands worth of damage to its base stations annually as a result of theft and vandalism which ultimately impacts the cost of mobile services.
