Copper cable theft on the rise, police warn

Electrical copper cable theft continues to plague Namibia’s electricity industry, with the Namibian Police warning that the crime is on the rise.

The police’s criminal investigations directorate recently told Namibian Sun that copper cable theft “can be described as an increasing phenomenon”.

“The cases of theft have indeed increased in recent years due to the demand and high street market prices of copper, which is a key factor to these types of theft,” police said in response to queries by this publication.

The police warned that such thefts pose a serious national threat to infrastructure due to ongoing vandalism.

“These incidents need a holistic intervention by all stakeholders to eradicate the escalation of copper cable theft,” the police stated.

disrupts service delivery, causes revenue losses and negatively affects the economy

Statistics

Police statistics indicate that the central Khomas region is set to surpass the Erongo region as the country’s copper cable theft hotspot this year.

In 2025, a total of 272 electrical copper cable theft cases were reported nationwide, of which 78 occurred in the Erongo region. Arrests were made in 63 of those cases.

By mid-March 2026, six cases had been reported in the Erongo Region, with five arrests.

In 2025, the Khomas Region recorded 48 cases of copper cable theft, resulting in 41 arrests.

Year-to-date, 28 cases have been reported, with 14 arrests made.

Last year, the Kavango East Region recorded 37 cases of copper cable theft, resulting in eight arrests. So far in 2026, no cases have been reported there.

By contrast, the Kavango West Region, which had no cases last year, has seen two cases reported so far in 2026.

Other regions that recorded copper cable theft in 2025 include Hardap with 23 cases, //Kharas with 16, Ohangwena with 19, Oshikoto with 24, and Otjozondjupa with 10. Six cases were reported in Zambezi, seven in Oshana, and two each in Omusati and Omaheke. No cases were reported in the Kunene Region last year or this year.

A total of 181 suspects were arrested in 2025, while 62 have been apprehended so far this year.

The police continue to engage stakeholders to raise awareness on the issue.

“Our strategic approach includes strengthening partnerships with scrap metal dealers and collaborating with stakeholders like power utilities and the communication industry to collect intelligence and data on these theft patterns and modus operandi."