EMM blamed for bee attack on gardener
A 34-year-old man almost died when he was stung by bees while working in a garden.
Russell Khoza, who is a gardener in Farrarmere, was busy cutting grass on December 6 when a swarm of bees suddenly attacked him.
The bees were in a water meter box, by the sidewalk at the Farrarmere home where he works.
According to the home owner, David Vermaak, his gardener nearly died as a result of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) incompetence.
David said he first discovered the bees in the meter box last year October when he wanted to record the meter readings.
“I reported the matter to the EMM and also to the Customer Relations Manager [Helen Naidoo] at the EMM offices in Benoni,” said Vermaak.
“After some weeks of emails to Naidoo (complaint telephone simply not answered – 0860 543 000) they finally removed the bees and replaced the meter box.”
He said this was two months later and after Khoza had been stung.
Khoza was rushed to the Netcare Linmed Hospital by David’s daughter, Samantha, after she received a call-back from a domestic helper.
She said she doesn’t know what would have happened to Khoza if she was not near the scene of the incident.
“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself, should he have died,” said Samantha.
“When I got to the house, I found Khoza swollen in the face, his head was a bit fuzzy and he couldn’t even speak properly.”
Vermaak said he wants the municipality to reimburse him the medical costs for his worker, which amounts to R4 010.
Khoza said he is still traumatised.
He said he wants the municipality to compensate him for the ordeal he went through.
The EMM was contacted for comment, but no comment was received at the time of going to print.
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