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Copper cable theft is believed to be the "root cause" of a passenger train accident near Saulsville in Pretoria on Thursday that resulted in at least 200 people being injured.
Transport department spokesman Tiyani Rikhotso said they'd been informed by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa that at least 50 metres worth of copper cable had been stolen from different parts of the railway track.
Rikhotso explained that when cables are stolen, the rail system's technology changes from automatic to manual.
As a result of the theft, the automated signaling was off.
The train accident happened when one train rammed into the back of another which was stationary.
