I haven't thought about it for 15 years, and now with "basic research" and I couldn't find anything about either fiber optic or copper metal theft being used for fabric in Africa
nothing on snopes, nothing in your wiki page. in my prior comment I felt either was equally likely
it did nothing to augment what I might or might not believe, thank you for the contribution about general metal theft
Your initial comment came across as saying you just didn't believe that people steal metal.
It wasn't about not believing the possibility, it was about noticing how I heard a similar story which featured association and no source, and identifying that this is the same way that all urban legends exist. I also said "or maybe I have been missing an entrepreneurial opportunity" completely, and clearly saying that I am open to believing when referencable information was provided, which it immediately was by the first response while ironically villifying me instead of leaving it at the educational moment.