Beyond financial losses: The hidden costs of cable theft for national utilities

Abstract

Cable theft represents a pervasive threat to critical infrastructure systems worldwide, with developing nations experiencing particularly acute impacts. This qualitative study examines the multifaceted consequences of cable theft beyond immediate replacement costs, focusing on South African utility networks as a case study. Through in-depth interviews with stakeholders across electricity, telecommunications, and transportation sectors, this research reveals how infrastructure crime generates cascading economic and social effects that significantly exceed direct financial losses. Building upon the researcher's previous investigations of cable theft at Eskom (Govender, 2017, 2020), this study expands the analytical framework to encompass broader community impacts and multi-utility perspectives. The study employed open-source methodological approaches, conducting semi-structured interviews with utility managers, security personnel, community members, and affected businesses to understand the lived experiences of cable theft impacts. Findings indicate that service disruptions create ripple effects throughout local economies, while repeated incidents erode community trust and deter economic development. This research contributes to criminological theory by proposing an expanded framework for understanding infrastructure crime that incorporates community resilience and social capital considerations. The study offers practical insights for policymakers seeking to develop comprehensive responses to infrastructure criminality.