Maputo — Southern African electricity companies began a meeting on Tuesday in Midrand, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, to discuss a regional strategy to combat the theft of electrical equipment.

According to a press release from the Mozambican electricity company, EDM, all the member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are suffering from the vandalism of so-called "scrap metal syndicates" who steal cables and other electrical components which are then sold as scrap on the Asian market.

In addition to this direct theft of equipment, EDM also says it has suffered heavy losses from clandestine connections to the national grid, and illicit supplies of power to people who have no contract with EDM.

"These situations have caused huge losses to EDM, which is obliged to mobilise billions of meticais to replace materials to the detriment of expending the grid to other parts of Mozambique which have not yet benefited from electricity", said the EDM release (one billion meticais is equivalent to 36 million US dollars at current exchange rates).

The thefts also cause losses to EDM's customers. They result in oscillations in electrical current which can damage industrial equipment and household appliances.

The three day meeting is organised by the South African electricity company, Eskom, and will be attended by representative from Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.