The Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) says it strongly condemns the relentless attacks on its infrastructure by cable theft syndicates, with the latest incident happening during the early hours of Thursday morning (October 11th, 2018) claiming a life of a security officer.
This was after a group of twelve robbers ambushed security staff at the Rietspruit Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) where four security guards were on duty.
The robbers proceeded to cut electricity cables from a mini substation supplying power to the sewer treatment plant, during which they were spotted by the security personnel.
It is alleged that the robbers overpowered and assaulted one of the guards who died at the scene. The municipality says in a media statement it is working with the Vanderbijlpark SAPS in investigating the matter and sends its heartfelt condolences to the family and colleagues of the deceased.
Vanderbijlpark SAPS spokesperson, Sergeant Gertrude Makhale, confirmed that cases of murder and business robbery have been registered with the police and investigations are underway.
Six 300 × 4 core cables powering the plant were cut in the incident but none were stolen. Regrettably, the sudden loss of power damaged some of the electrical components in the plant, forcing the plant technicians to temporarily shut it down until repairs were concluded.
Maintenance technicians from both Metsi-a-Lekoa and the Electricity Department remain on site to monitor the performance of the plant and bring the treatment processes back to normal.
The municipality urges residents to assist by reporting and guarding against the vandalism of its infrastructure. Residents are requested to contact ELM Public Safety on (016) 422 3600 or the SAPS (Sedibeng Cluster Office) on (016) 450 2509/2578. Residents can also report vandalism incidents at their nearest police station.