ALBERTON – “The new plastic covers do not have the monetary value that the metal thieves are looking for and we believe it is a groundbreaking intervention to put an end to this malicious crime. Of great value to the residents is the reduction of the risk of falling into the manholes,” Ekurhuleni Spokesperson Themba Gadebe said.
According to Gadebe, the new plastic covers will also assist with sewage problems.
Most of the problems that residents have been experiencing with sewage stem from foreign objects found in the system and dumped in open manholes.
The municipality will also set up a task team to visit scrap yards across Ekurhuleni in search of manhole covers and other municipal-owned property.
“In cases where scrap yards are found in possession of council-owned items, a charge of theft will be laid against the owners of the company. The municipality must be able to prove that the items are council property,” Gadebe added.
The City encourages residents to continue reporting missing manhole covers and any suspicious or illegal activity to the call centre on 0860 54 3000.
