The North West District Council (NWDC) has raised a concern about the rising incidents of electrical vandalism and cable theft in Maun which pose a serious threat to electrical supply, often leading to prolonged power outages and infrastructure damage.
The criminals are targeting valuable copper in electrical infrastructure, particularly the cable that connects to the street lights. The culprits are reportedly driven by the high value of copper, and they are reportedly excavating and cutting underground cable that supply street lighting.
In an interview, North West District Council Principal Electrical Engineer 1, Daniel Hambuindja said that electrical vandalism and cable theft is a serious concern that has a devastating impact mainly on street lighting, as some of the parts of Maun are dark a situation that leads to increased criminal activity.
According to him, the council has registered more than 10 cases of electrical vandalism and cable theft in 2025 which were reported to the police while from the beginning of this year up to date they have registered seven cases.
Hambuindja has encouraged the community to report all acts of theft and vandalism which are reported to be occurring mostly during the night.
Meanwhile, when delivering his speech during the Full Council Meeting in December last year, North West District Council Chairman, Itumeleng Kelebetseng concurred that they continue to register an unprecedented number of cable theft and vandalism by motorists.
He said that this is a worrying trend as it is evident that the trajectory is on the rise, pointing that it has resulted in 55% availability of streetlights luminance.
As mitigation, Kelebetseng noted that the council is currently installing over 90 streetlights to replace those vandalized. He stated that the project shall be completed before the end of March 2026.
“Another 320 solar powered streetlights will be installed in various places in Maun through the Fuel Levy Fund. The areas that will be benefiting are Matlapana, Xhabara Ward, Disana Ward, Moeti Ward, Boronyane Ward and Riverisde ward. We hope the illumination of these areas will bring along the much needed development in Maun,” he said.
He pleaded with the community to take care of the public utilities by avoiding vandalism and reporting theft as the developments are being carried out, stating that this is the only way to keep Maun illuminated which will improve safety and economic vibrance.
