A team from the City’s Water and Sanitation department was robbed at knifepoint after being dispatched to fix a sewer overflow in Elsies River.
The incident took place on the corner of Owen Road and Adriaanse Avenue last Wednesday while they were busy fixing the sewer overflow which affected Trinity Place and Clarke Estate.
The City says unknown suspects appeared and robbed a worker off his cellphone.
Councillor Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation says: “One staff member who was manning the sewer pump was robbed of his cellphone. The staff member was held up with a knife and robbed.”
He says that a police case has not yet been opened but “going forward, our teams will require the support of Law Enforcement before entering this area to render services.”
“The Directorate condemns any form of criminal activity as they impact on our ability to provide services to our residents. The anxiety and emotional distress of working in such an unpredictable environment cannot be underestimated and the City has provided counselling to the affected staff members through our Employee Wellness Programme.”
Community leader Steve Ross says the news comes as no surprise to him.
“My suggestion is that if a team from the City is coming into these hotspot areas they should inform the local neighbourhood watches and community leaders who have greater influence than the police and Law Enforcement.”
“I am not shocked when I hear this kind of news, I am shocked that nothing was pre-planned because they are put at risk. The criminal activities have taken over and it’s repetitive, some areas in Elsies River are at high risk even police get attacked so City workers stand no chance.”