*BPC lose over P6.8 million to theft
*624 cases recorded in Ghetto in 14 months
Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) continues to face a significant challenge of cable theft and vandalism of electrical infrastructure in Francistown and surrounding areas.
Northern Network Service and Supply Manager, Cassious Rampupunyane, warned the costly issue requires urgent attention as it impacts the city’s ability to function effectively.
In a presentation to the full council, Rampupunyane revealed that from 1 April 2025 to date, Francistown recorded 624 incidents of cable theft, which works out as more than one a day.
“The estimated financial loss is approximately P6.864 million,” he disclosed of his stunned audience of politicians and journalists.
Rampupunyane noted that cable theft has surged across the second city, severely disrupting essential utilities such as electricity and telecommunications.
According to the report, as well as sucking millions, the rampant vandalism of copper infrastructure, driven by the lucrative black-market scrap metal trade, has seen neighbourhoods experience frequent and prolonged blackouts.
“Vandalism negatively affects power supply reliability, customer service delivery, and operational and maintenance costs. The activities of illegal copper traders also undermine development efforts and place livelihoods at risk,” said Rampupunyane, who assured councillors BPC is working closely with the Police to strengthen investigations and curb infrastructure vandalism.
He ended by encouraging members of the public to report suspicious activities and incidents of vandalism.
Some councillors called for stricter penalties and stronger enforcement measures to deter offenders and protect critical national infrastructure.
Widespread theft of underground and overhead cables has also led Francistown City Council to report a decline in street-lighting capacity, with illumination levels falling significantly below service standards.
Authorities have since intensified joint operations, with local police and private security companies intercepting criminal syndicates and recovering thousands of metres of stolen cable.
The council, led by Mayor Gaone Majere, advised residents to establish neighbourhood watch groups and report suspicious activity.
Some of the interventions being implemented by service providers to combat the ongoing crisis are theft-resistant measures, including replacing copper cables with aluminum conductors in high-risk areas, as well as the expansion of fibre-optic infrastructure and solar-powered lighting systems.
Francistown Council is currently installing solar streetlights across the city as part of a broader strategy to reduce dependence on the electricity grid, lower operating costs and minimise the impact of cable theft and vandalism.
