The Govan Mbeki Municipality’s executive mayor, Nhlakanipho Zuma, is concerned about the ongoing theft and vandalism of municipal infrastructure.
Zuma said this after electricity cables were stolen at the water treatment works in eMbalenhle on Sunday, June 5.
The mayor said the municipality is experiencing widespread vandalism to electrical, water and sanitation infrastructure.
“The recent disturbing incident where water treatment works cables were cut and stolen, negatively impacted on service delivery.
“All pump stations have stopped working and there will be an increase in sewage spills due to the non-flowing of sewage at the outfall lines. This will create a strain and also deprive the community to receiveconsistent and quality service delivery.
“The money that will be spent in replacing the cables, could have been used elsewhere to improve service delivery,” said Zuma.
Zuma said that the persistent theft and vandalism of infrastructure are costing the municipality millions of rand.
He said this kind of criminal act undermines the municipality’s effort to provide service delivery to the community.
The mayor urged the community to work together to safeguard the municipal property and share information that will assist the law enforcement authorities in their investigation.
Zuma said the municipality has opened a case of theft and vandalism at the eMbalenhle Police Station.
This is the second time cables were stolen at the water treatment works and residents again are suffering large-scale sewage spills.
The municipality had also opened a case of cable theft at the eMbalenhle Police Station in June last year when electricity supply cables at the wastewater treatment works had been stolen.
Zuma visited the plant last year and found that cables, breakers and valves had been stolen. This had a dire impact because all pump stations stopped working.
Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) sued HWIBIDU security company for an estimated R5m for vandalism that occurred at the eMbalenhle water treatment plant last year.
The municipality wants the company to take responsibility for damages and theft of plant equipment.
The municipality spent about R60m to upgrade the eMbalenhle Water Treatment Works in the past eight years, but some residents claim they do not know where the supposed upgrading took place because sewage spills have worsened.
