Due to the common power outages in South Africa, a new criminal trend has emerged as citizens resort to other alternatives to electricity. Indeed, a South African security company has reported that the number of solar panel thefts has increased.
In this regard, Fidelity ADT noted that the company has received a spate of alerts since last week about solar panels being stolen from private properties.
The electricity crisis that has hit the country has fuelled the need for households to seek new sources of energy such as solar power.
Indeed, to address this crisis, South Africa has imported nearly $300 million worth of solar home equipment over the past year.
As a result, President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced that the government is reviewing tax and tariff measures to encourage greater adoption of solar energy.
This interest in solar panels by households across the country has led to criminals seeking to profit from them.