Armed assailants attack City Power security officers in Alexandra
City Power says the armed assailants overpowered and tied up their security personnel at the Alexandra substation on Friday.
Two security officers, who were on duty at the Alexandra substation on October 10, were allegedly attacked by a group of armed assailants.
The utility says the assailants broke into the substation, after damaging the palisade fence and cutting through the perimeter wiring. They then overpowered, and tied up, the security officers, who were guarding the substation.
Read more: City Power responds to infrastructure theft and vandalism in Alex
According to City Power, they stole the security officer’s protective gear and electronic devices. However, the assailants fled when the Tactical Security Service patrol vehicle arrived on the scene.
“The two injured officers were rushed [to hospital] for medical treatment and are currently recovering,” the utility’s spokesperson Isaac Mangena said in a statement.
City Power’s CEO Tshifularo Mashava has since condemned the attack as senseless and deeply troubling. She noted that their security officers risk their lives to ensure the safety of their critical infrastructure. “To see them attacked in this manner is unacceptable, as this is not just an attack on City Power, but an attack on every resident who depends on reliable electricity.”
Also read: City Power alarmed by transformer vandalism in Alexandra, Lombardy East
She said the utility is now working closely with law enforcement officials in a bid to track down the assailants. Mashava added that they will not rest until those responsible for the attack are apprehended and brought to justice.
The utility is also appealing to residents to help protect and safeguard their infrastructure, as it continues to battle with the surging incidents of cable theft, vandalism, illegal connections, and attacks on their personnel. “We are intensifying our joint operation with the police and community policing forums in hotspot areas, including Alexandra, Roodepoort, Lenasia, and parts of Soweto. Every time a cable is stolen, or substation is vandalised, communities suffer from prolonged outages.”
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