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City Power dispute reported events of alleged assault on Wilgeheuwel principal

City Power conducted an internal investigation and have concluded that their employee was not the aggressor in the matter.

City Power has responded to assault allegations after one of their technicians was involved in an alleged physical altercation with a school principal.

Principal of Dios Los Ninos School Leonie Leppich claimed she was assaulted by a City Power technician who was attempting to remove the meter outside her premises. Leppich opened a case of assault at Honeydew Police Station and has video of the incident as well as several witnesses, including a passerby, who also alleges the technician assaulted her.

A photo of the second alleged assault victim received on August 28. Photo: Supplied.

City Power’s Roodepoort Service Delivery Centre (SDC) has concluded its investigation and has determined their official is not to blame, claiming the residents and the passersby who got involved in the altercation were the instigators.

Also read: https://www.citizen.co.za/roodepoort-record/2023/09/04/principal-allegedly-assaulted-outside-of-school-by-city-power-official-removing-prepayment-meter/

“We have investigated the matter internally by interviewing the witness who accompanied the electrician to the site, and we have also viewed the contents of a video in our possession,” said City Power spokesperson Issac Mangena in a statement issued on September 8.

“On August 23, the City Power electrician arrived at 1179 Touber Street, Weltevredenpark [sic] to investigate the irregular buying pattern on the prepaid meter. The electrician informed the school principal of the nature of the visit and requested proof of purchase as our records showed that she last purchased prepaid electricity in February 2023. The principal indicated that she bought electricity a week earlier but could not show the receipt,” read the City Power statement.

Leppich had previously stated that both meters in the box outside the property belonged to her as the school covers two properties. One is loaded many months in advance but the meter for the main building is loaded regularly as it it is a higher consumer of electricity.

Leonie Leppich outside her meter box on August 25. Photo: Jarryd Westerdale.

Mangena’s statement continued, “The electrician then informed the principal that she has to disconnect the meter and this can be queried at the Roodepoort SDC office. On hearing this, the principal offered to give the electrician R500 as the purchase for electricity – which we view as a bribery [sic] to let her off the hook – but the electrician informed her that this is not the procedure City Power follows.”

The involved party’s version of events is the same in that Leppich took photos of the official’s ID cards but no mention is made of Leppich’s claim that these actions angered the technician and sparked the altercation and alleged assault.

“While this was going on, a vehicle with two male occupants arrived and they joined in the harassment of the electrician,” continued Mangena, yet Leppich and the second alleged assault victim claim only one male occupant was in said vehicle.

“We have in our possession a video that shows racial slurs and insults hurled at our employee. We are intending to open a case of racism with the authorities. The principal also called for assistance from the patrolling security who arrived on scene and did not find our employee at fault, indicating to the school principal that she was merely doing her job,” read the statement. Leppich denies using any racist language and welcomes proof of the allegation.

“City Power stands by our employee and would like to state clearly that she did not assault the principal as stated in the article. We are disappointed that the newspaper went ahead to publish the article without getting the side of City Power, which goes against the basic principles of journalism, especially on such a serious matter.”

This Northsider sent a request for clarification, which was acknowledged by City Power on August 25, before the initial article was published on August 31 in print and September 4 online.

Outlining the procedures around prepayment meter monitoring, Mangena’s statement read, “City Power would like to indicate that when irregular buying patterns are investigated the onus is on the customer to provide vending evidence and if the customer is not able to provide proof of payment or buying, the procedure is to disconnect the meter and take it to the office.”

City Power is aware that Leppich has opened a case of assault against their employee, and the technician has done the same against her. Both parties claim to be willing to co-operate with authorities in their investigations.

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