Evildoers sabotaging city – Tshwane metro

26 March 2018

Solly Msimanga. Photo: file

The Tshwane metro believes it is under attack of evildoers out to tarnish the name of the current administration.

Numerous incidents have been reported of malicious damage to infrastructure and more recently, attacks on employees.

Earlier this month, Rekord reported on protesters in Olievenhoutbosch who destroyed public property, causing great service delivery disruptions for residents across Tshwane.

The wanton destruction and vandalism that took place in Olievenhoutbosch robbed people of basic services and should be condemned, mayor Solly Msimanga said.

A group of protesters damaged a clinic, burned down a guardhouse, and stole computers at the Olievenhoutbosch community centre. Windows and doors were also broken down.

Msimanga referred to the incidents as “barbaric”, saying the damage to the clinic was so severe that it had to be shut down.

ALSO READ: Tshwane services ‘sabotaged’ by spate of vandalism

Personnel had since been allocated to adjacent clinics and patients redirected to other nearby facilities.

During the attack on the clinic, Tshwane metro electricians repairing faulty cables at the Noordwes substation in Centurion were taken hostage.

The hostage drama resulted in the delay of the repair work that needed to be done in the other affected areas of Erasmia, Laudium, Claudius, Louwardia and Lyttelton.

The power outage at Lyttelton left the city’s offices and some sections of the Unitas hospital without power.

The protesters later blocked the R55 road with burning tyres.

City manager Dr Moeketsi Mosola warned alleged perpetrators attacking employees and damaging infrastructure.

Mosola said a senior manager stationed in region 6 was accosted by criminals on Saturday while attending to a service delivery interruption in Nellmapius, Centurion.

The manager was in a deserted spot when criminals robbed him of his vehicle, phones as well as other items and sped off.

Mosola said in region 3 alone, the following incidents of theft and damage to infrastructure occurred last week and at the past weekend:

• The Eland Street substation was vandalised, leaving some of the residents in Koedoespoort without electricity. Power was expected to be restored by Tuesday, 27 March.