This comes as the EMM begins to rolls out branded orange plastic manhole covers, replacing the theft-prone metal covers.
The replacement of the old, cast-iron covers is one of the municipality’s efforts to curb vandalism and the theft of manhole covers.
The EMM’s spokesperson, Mr Themba Gadebe said, “The new plastic covers do not have the monetary value that the metal thieves are looking for. We believe it is a ground-breaking intervention to put an end to this malicious crime. Of great value to the residents is the reduction of the risk of falling into manholes.”
According to Mr Gadebe, the new manhole covers will also go a long way in decreasing the number of overflowing sewers which are mainly caused by foreign objects being dumped into open manholes.
A task team has also been set up to visit scrap metal dealers across Ekurhuleni in search of any cast iron manhole covers and other municipal-owned property that were traded for money.
In cases where scrap metal dealers are found in possession of council-owned items, a charge of theft will be laid against the owners of the company. The municipality must be able to prove that the items are council property.
The EMM encourages residents to continue reporting missing manhole covers and any suspicious or illegal activity to the call centre on 0860 543 000.
