Mhlathuze Water condemns criminal act on consultants
The pair were subsequently taken into a nearby forest where they were held hostage for nearly six hours
Mhlathuze Water has noted with shock the hijacking and robbery of an engineering consultant engaged by the water board to assist in the restoration of water infrastructure in the uMkhanyakude District in the far north of KZN.
On Thursday, 15 December, two engineers from Ziyanda Consulting were accosted by gunmen while conducting an inspection of a water storage tank and pump station in the Mntikini area of Umkhanyakude.
A double cab Toyota Hilux bakkie was hijacked during the incident and the pair were subsequently taken into a nearby forest where they were held hostage for nearly six hours.
During this time, they were robbed of their personal belongings including bank cards and laptops. While the two engineers were not physically harmed and were ultimately able to find their way to safety and report the robbery to the police, Mhlathuze Water regrets the mental and emotional trauma visited upon them.
Mhlathuze Water spokesperson Siyabonga Maphumulo described the incident as ‘unconscionable’ and said this criminal behaviour also places in a risky position the very urgent task of delivering water to thousands of households in the uMkhanyakude District.
“It is both unfortunate and unnecessary that in exchange for their dedication, our engineers should be confronted by ruthless criminals. This unconscionable act is a definite setback to our efforts of supplying water to uMkhanyakude as mandated by the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu.
“We appeal to the public to work with us to keep our contractors and employees safe from criminal elements as we successfully complete the task at hand,” said Maphumulo.
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