DURBAN – This morning, the Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Policing, Major General Phumelele Makoba, officially launched the Specialised Multi-Disciplinary Economic Infrastructure Task Teams (EITT’s) in KwaZulu-Natal.

The launch follows the State of The Nation Address on 10 February 2022 where the State President, Cyril Ramaphosa said, “the ongoing damage to and the theft of economic infrastructure has damaged confidence and severely constrained economic growth, investment and job creation. At the same time, we need to confront the criminal gangs that invade construction sites and other business places to extort money from companies. This requires a focussed and coordinated response.”

Addressing the launch at the Durban Central police station this morning, Major General 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,” she said.

The EITT’s will focus on the following areas to address the scourge of economic infrastructure related crimes:

• Non-Ferrous metal theft (eg. 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 (eg. Pipeline fuel theft);

• Extortion at construction and or economic sites and;

• The 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 were these crimes are most prevalent. The teams consist of various disciplines from the SAPS, Government departments, other law enforcement agencies, State Owned Entities, Cellular Telephone Providers and the DPCI. EITT’s 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.

Source: South African Police Service