The theft of municipal vehicles in eMalahleni continues to be a concern after another truck belonging to the municipality was stolen during a robbery on the night of September 19.

According to the police, three security guards were on duty and sitting inside a guardroom at around 21:20 when three men arrived on site.

Police reports indicated that they knocked on the guardroom door before breaking a window and forcing their way inside. Once inside, the men tied up the guards and robbed them of their cellphones.

According to police, the suspects also stole a municipal truck and copper cables before fleeing the scene.
Police reported that the guards were unable to identify the suspects because they were wearing balaclavas throughout the incident.

READ MORE: Refuse truck in eMalahleni – have you seen it?

The latest theft adds to a growing list of municipal fleet vehicles reported stolen in recent months.
On April 19, a bakkie believed to belong to the municipality was hijacked at gunpoint. The incident was reported by Vosman SAPS and formed part of a series of cases involving stolen municipal vehicles.
The hijacked bakkie followed the theft of a municipal grader and a municipal refuse truck, which was hijacked in February. Another municipal bakkie was also reported stolen, with authorities indicating at the time that all the vehicles remained missing.

Police are investigating the latest case, and no arrests had been made at the time of reporting.
Meanwhile, the EFF in Mpumalanga has expressed concern over the continued theft of municipal fleet vehicles in eMalahleni.

EFF eMalahleni Council Chief Whip Mahero Sekgala said the party was shocked by what it described as the ongoing theft of municipal assets and alleged that an organised crime syndicate was targeting municipal fleet vehicles to the detriment of poor residents and service delivery.

READ MORE: Bakkie believed to be the municipality’s hijacked at gunpoint

Sekgala said the EFF had previously raised concerns following the theft of a Bell grader around October last year. According to him, the matter was brought before council and later referred to the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) for further investigation.

He further claimed that two municipal refuse compactor trucks and an Isuzu bakkie were stolen earlier this year and alleged that no arrests or suspensions had followed.

Sekgala also alleged that the crane truck reported stolen on September 19 had been seen driving in Ackerville on the morning before it was reported missing.

The EFF has called on Municipal Manager Sizwe Mayisela and Mayor Vusi Nhlapo to release a preliminary report on all stolen municipal fleet vehicles before the end of the week.

The party also called for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate all reported municipal fleet thefts, as well as alleged vandalism at the Phola Community Hall and a municipal weighbridge.

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