PHALABORWA — A community-driven nonprofit established in May has started visible repairs to streets and is placing round-the-clock CCTV cameras at key sites near electricity infrastructure in an effort to curb cable theft and improve the town’s appearance, the Herald reported on 24 August.
Local businesses and homeowners fund repairs and cameras
The organisation, Phalaborwa First, was set up by two local business owners: Ruan du Preez of Mica and Piet du Toit of Coastal Hire, according to the Herald. It is financed solely through member contributions from businesses and homeowners in the Phalaborwa area and has no major outside funders.
So far, Phalaborwa First has patched potholes on Kierieklapper and Grey streets, and is working on Tulbach Street. Its teams have also undertaken kerb painting and daily street cleaning as part of a wider beautification programme.
“We strive to beautify our town and take it back to a place where it used to be aesthetically beautiful and inviting to tourists. We are not a political party nor affiliated to any party, and we are not trying to fight against the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality; we are lending a hand,” said du Preez, as reported by the Herald.
How the programme is funded and staffed
According to the Herald, Phalaborwa First has about 50 corporate members — businesses in and around the town — that each contribute R1 500 a month. In addition, there are around 75 individual homeowners paying R350 a month. The organisation employs nine pothole-repair workers and a team of cleaners to maintain streets daily.
| Item | Number | Monthly contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate members | 50 | R1 500 |
| Homeowner members | 75 | R350 |
| Pothole-repair workers | 9 | — |
- Repairs completed on Kierieklapper and Grey streets; Tulbach Street in progress.
- 24/7 CCTV cameras installed at strategic points near substations and other electricity infrastructure.
- About 11 additional cameras planned to be installed within the next week, the Herald reported.
Impact on cable theft and municipal costs
Phalaborwa First has prioritised camera placement near substations and other electricity assets. The Herald reported that, since the cameras began operating, cable theft incidents have fallen dramatically: in the two months after installations there was only one theft, and it occurred at a site without cameras. The founders said this contrasts with earlier periods when cable theft was reported to be a weekly problem that left residents without power for days.
The group also told the Herald that its interventions are helping the municipality save on the recurrent expense of replacing stolen cables, implying a direct fiscal and service benefit from the community-funded work.
Relationship with the municipality and next steps
Phalaborwa First has been careful to position itself as a partner rather than an opponent of the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality. The founders emphasised they are not affiliated with any political party and described their activity as supplemental civic action. The organisation intends to continue prioritising structural, infrastructural and environmental improvements around the town.
For residents, the initiative offers two immediate benefits: faster local repairs and increased surveillance where electricity infrastructure is vulnerable. Longer term, the group aims to restore aspects of the town’s visual appeal to make public spaces more inviting for residents and visitors.
Questions remain about how sustainable the model will be as the organisation expands work and whether municipal authorities will formalise any cooperation. The Herald report provides the current details of membership levels, staffing and early impacts.
Further developments — such as additional camera rollouts, expanded road maintenance or formal agreements with the municipality — would directly affect service delivery and could provide a model for other small towns facing similar challenges with cable theft and basic infrastructure upkeep.
