The South African Police Service (SAPS) in KwaZulu-Natal has launched the Specialised Multi-Disciplinary Economic Infrastructure Task Teams (EITTs) in an effort to curb the scourge of damage to and theft of economic infrastructure in the province.

Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Policing in KZN, Major General Phumelele Makoba, officially launched the EITTs on Monday.

The launch comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his State of the Nation Address in February, said the ongoing damage to and theft of economic infrastructure has “damaged confidence and severely constrained economic growth, investment and job creation”.

The President said the country needs to confront the criminal gangs that invade construction sites and other business places to extort money from companies, saying this requires “a focused and coordinated response”.

Addressing the launch at the Durban Central police station, Makoba urged all role-players to work together in an integrated manner to stem the scourge and bring the perpetrators to book.

“We are convinced that the perpetrators of these crimes are repeat offenders and we need to strike a blow to these criminal syndicates, and bring an end to the theft and destruction of our essential infrastructure.”

The EITTs will focus on the following areas:

• Non-ferrous metal theft (e.g. copper cable theft);

• Essential infrastructure crimes (eg. tampering, damaging or destroying of infrastructure related to energy, transport, water, sanitation and communication services);

• Critical infrastructure crimes (e.g. pipeline fuel theft);

• Extortion at construction and or economic sites; and

• Combating of illegal mining and illicit trafficking.

Three teams were formed that will be dealing with these crimes and they will be based in the Ethekwini, Umgungundlovu and King Cetshwayo Districts, where these crimes are most prevalent.

The SAPS in KZN said the teams consist of various disciplines from the police, government departments, other law enforcement agencies, State-owned entities, cellular telephone providers and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.

“The EITTs will ensure the integration of operational processes, resources and intelligence across all operational environments of the SAPS under a single command in order to successfully address economic infrastructure related crimes and extortion in a coherent and synergised manner,” SAPS said.

Source: South African Government News Agency