Africa-Press – Angola. Acts of vandalism against electrical and water infrastructure and equipment in Angola have been causing financial losses to the State of approximately USD 50 million per year, according to the Ministry of Energy and Water, João Baptista Borges.
In a note on Sunday, the ministerial department reiterates that vandalism is beginning to take on “very worrying aspects in the country”.
For example, on the 5th of this month (December), in the province of Benguela, the towers of the high voltage line that interconnect the Catumbela – Norte – Cavaco electrical substations were vandalized, causing damage to the electricity supply service.
On the same day, in the city of Luanda, several families, in the Azul and Samba neighborhoods, were deprived of normal energy supply, due to the vandalization of a “kiosk” (distribution equipment), where the protective grilles and several components of the equipment were destroyed.
Likewise, on the 5th, residents of the Malanjino, Golf 1 and Popular neighborhoods, in Luanda, were left without power, with a sectioning post being vandalized during the early hours of the morning.
Recently, in the province of Malanje, 18 110 kV towers and three 400 kV towers were vandalized, causing huge losses to the State’s coffers for replacement, in addition to depriving the population of regular electricity supply.
Still in Luanda, on November 15th, an act of arson, which damaged underground medium voltage cables, left around 400 families without electricity in Samba.
In the province of Cunene, a metal tower on the 30 KV Ondjiva/Santa Clara distribution line was also vandalized relatively recently, depriving the towns of Namacunde, Santa Clara and Oihole of regular electricity supply, and this year there have already been five similar incidents in this province.
Still in the electricity sector, there has also been recurring theft of cables and fuses, which are a repeated practice, as well as the vandalization of PT’s, causing immense constraints to the regular electricity supply service, as well as the destruction of sectioning posts.
There are also situations of arson, where electrical equipment is burned, such as the recent case in Viana, which left many families in the dark.
In the water sector, the scenario is identical, with practices harmful to the public interest.
Covers from valve boxes, water meters and their respective structures are stolen.
The electrical equipment of the boosters, mainly in the Kilamba centrality, are also the target of theft, creating huge problems in the regular water supply.
In the province of Bengo, the practice of vandalizing suction cups and other essential equipment in the Capari water supply system has also been recurrent, which harms the normal supply of water to the population.
Faced with this worrying scenario, there is an urgent need to criminalize people who encourage this practice more forcefully, with a “heavier hand of justice against such acts”, as well as greater surveillance by the National Police.
In addition to these measures, the note states, the protection of public assets is a duty of the entire population, and it is essential that there is greater vigilance for everyone against these acts that are, at all levels, reprehensible.
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