Lulekani man granted bail for illegal water connection
A Lulekani man has been granted bail for illegal water connections after municipal officers found him digging up a road with a group.
PHALABORWA – The Lulekani Magistrate’s Court has granted Fannie Mathebula (28) R2,000 bail for the alleged illegal connection of water.
The suspect, from Kurhula in Lulekani, was arrested on Tuesday, June 9, at approximately 7:00 PM.
How the arrest unfolded
Municipal law enforcement officers responded to an incident on the Lulekani to Nghunghunyani road (D4424). Upon arrival, they discovered a group actively digging up the tarmac road using hand picks and spades.
The municipal road had been extensively damaged, and illegal water pipes were found stationed next to the excavations, ready for unauthorised connection.
Police called for backup
Lulekani police were called to the scene for backup. While the crowd dispersed, law enforcement officers apprehended one suspect.
Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality acting technical manager Sam Lelope laid a complaint on behalf of the municipality.
Mayor condemns infrastructure damage
Mayor Merriam Malatji condemned the incident.
“Destroying public roads and tampering with water networks severely disrupts service delivery, compromises water security for law-abiding residents, and costs taxpayers millions of rands in infrastructure repairs,” she said.
Zero-tolerance policy
She further said that the municipality maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward the destruction of public property.
“We urgently appeal to all members of the community to protect our shared infrastructure and report any suspicious activities or illegal connections to the municipality or the local police immediately,” she concluded.
