The George municipality is offering an amount of R2500 as a reward for any information that may lead to the successful conviction of criminals as it battles the vandalism of its infrastructure.
In a statement on Monday, the municipality says it has lost over R3.5 million over the past six to eight months due to vandalism impacting different departments.
George municipality spokesperson Chantel Edwards says the electro-technical department has been hit the hardest, reporting 811 cable thefts between July and December last year.
Other municipal departments that fell victim to ongoing vandalism included their Corporate Services Department which lost approximately R80 000. Vandalism of sports facilities in Palcatsdorp amounted to R37 000.
Edwards says their law enforcement officers have led to arrests in connection with cable theft and vandalism.
"Vandalism incidents continue to pose challenges and inconvenience to residents. We implore the citizens of George to assist in combating vandalism by promptly reporting incidents to the official channels of the George Municipality and the police. Vandalism is a criminal act that ultimately burdens ratepayers and deprives communities of essential services."
The municipality pleaded with the public to please report people tampering, painting, breaking, or stealing municipal property with the SAPS and George Municipality Law Enforcement.
