The City of Cape Town has temporarily withdrawn water and sanitation services from Samora Machel until further notice after a staff member was shot while they were repairing a collapsed sewer pipeline on Tuesday 6 April 2020.
The City said teams will return to the area once it is safe to do so.
“Earlier today, four suspected teenagers robbed a City team of their belongings, such as wallets and cellphones, while they were busy repairing a collapsed sewer in Helen Joseph Street, Samora Machel. The supervisor, who is also the driver, was shot and has been hospitalised after the bullet narrowly missed his spine. He will need to undergo surgery and his condition is being monitored closely,” the City said.
Other team members recieved trauma counselling following the incident.
“The City condemns this attack on our staff in the strongest terms possible. It is unconscionable to target staff who are on site going about their public service duties, and the City will do everything in its power to assist the SAPS in its efforts to bring the guilty parties to book. The safety and well-being of staff must be prioritized and as such, teams have been withdrawn from Samora Machel until it is safe for them to return. Sadly, this negatively impacts service delivery to residents.”
“We ask residents to please bear with us as water-related service requests, such as clearing sewer blockages or repairing burst pipes, will unfortunately not be attended to during this time. Residents are assured that every effort is being made to ensure the services resume as soon as it is safe to do so,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Waste, Alderman Xanthea Limberg.