Johannesburg Cable Heist: Money or Something Else?

Officials in Johannesburg, South Africa have been left scratching their heads, following a brazen cable heist that resulted in the loss of 2 million rand (£110,000) worth of power cables during a burglary some are calling an inside job. The theft occurred at a brand-new data centre in Braamfontein. News sources say the data centre is a combination data and recovery centre designed to increase the server space and infrastructure necessary for the city to end its reliance on outside service providers. The city essentially wants to host its own data on city-owned servers powered by city infrastructure. Those plans took a step back after burglars broke into the data centre by entering through an emergency exit on the ground floor. However, there were no signs of forced entry. Once inside the building, the thieves broke into a room where contractors had been storing their tools. They used some of those tools to cut the cables that they eventually stole. Apparently, the cables were attached to new generators that contractors were testing. There was no loss of power, indicating that the generators were turned off prior to the theft. There were no reports detailing whether the generators were damaged or not. Investigators are now left to speculate as to the motive behind the theft.

Several Possibilities

The first assumption is that the thieves stole the cables for money. After all, they are worth more than £100,000. But how would the thieves off-load the stolen cables without being discovered? This is a question that investigators are still trying to answer. However, there is another possible motive… In an official statement released after the burglary was discovered, Mayor Herman Mashaba indicated that the heist was an inside job given how little damage was done. He maintained that whoever stole the cables knew exactly what they were looking for and where to find them. He believes the theft may have had nothing to do with money. Mayor Mashaba has suggested that perhaps the heist occurred in order to dissuade the city of Johannesburg from continuing to build. If it was not to dissuade them, then at least to slow down the progress. If the mayor is right, this would indicate an action taken by one of the companies providing data centre services to the city. They do not want the city to succeed because that would mean a loss of contracts for them.

An Impressive Theft

Right now, there is no clear indication as to the motive behind the theft. Whether it was for money or competitive purposes, one thing is certain: the theft was a rather impressive event in terms of what it took to get in, find the tools, cut the cables and run. The Mayor has made it clear that the theft will not deter his city's efforts to finish the data and operational centre. It is probably a safe bet that the city will beef up security until the centre is up and running, perhaps even beyond that. Sources:  http://techvibesnow.com/city-of-johannesburgs-data-centre-robbed-of-cables/ http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=166418