Metro urges stakeholders to help protect technicians responding to power outages

The CoE is calling on all stakeholders, including the public, neighbourhood watch groups, the police and private security companies, to play their role in protecting technicians rendering essential services in communities against criminals.

This request came after an on-duty electrician was ambushed, shot, wounded and robbed of his belongings at a substation on Pretoria Road, Dayanglen, Boksburg, on July 8.

The electrician and a female colleague at a substation nearby were trying to locate a fault that caused multiple power outages in Morganridge, Dayanglen and other western parts of Boksburg.

The preliminary investigation indicated that while he was at the substation working on restoring power to the affected areas, an armed robber confronted him, shot and disarmed him, robbed him of his cellphone and wallet, and left him for dead.

This incident reportedly happened while he was speaking to his colleague on his phone. The colleague suspected something was amiss when she heard the victim ask her for help, saying he was under attack.
She reported the matter to management and the police, who rushed to the scene.

Paramedics arrived at the scene, and the victim, a member of the CPF who stays in Comet, was taken to Linmed Hospital in Benoni by ambulance before being transferred to a facility in Joburg for treatment of a gunshot wound.
The metro said he was in stable condition and showed signs of recovery.

The metro said it had no choice but to withdraw its technicians from the electricity restoration process, leaving residents with a lengthy fault blackout in the face of freezing weather. However, the restoration work resumed the next day. The police are investigating a case of attempted murder and armed robbery.

Protection
Metro spokesperson Zweli Dlamini pointed out that the city provides protection for technicians working in high-risk areas known for robberies and violence.

Dlamini, however, stated it was impracticable and costly for the metro to deploy the EMPD or security service providers to accompany technicians to every outage, considering the high volume of calls they respond to daily and the limited resources available.

The city believed the public, police, law enforcement agencies, CPFs and neighbourhood watch groups have the potential to play an increasingly greater role in proactively preventing attacks on municipal workers while providing services.

“We, therefore, appeal to all stakeholders to say ‘enough is enough’ and stand together to assist us in thwarting criminal activities threatening our workers to ensure they deliver essential services without fear of becoming victims of these heinous crimes.

“After all, the protection of technicians and the infrastructure is in the best interests of the communities who rely on our services for continuous electricity supply,”
said Dlamini.

“The persistent attacks on our teams while carrying out their duties is undoubtedly a severe blow to society as it set back our mandate to ensure a reliable supply of electricity to our customers.”

Life-threatening
The metro denounced the attacks on the infrastructure and its men and women who provide services, even during the night and in harsh weather conditions.

“The City strongly condemns the shooting of its electrician. Thank God he survived the shooting, and our prayers are with him and his family through the recovery process.

“We strongly condemn the senseless attack on a man who left the comfort of his home and his family on a Saturday night to assist the community, only to be attacked by senseless thugs,” said Dlamini.

He added these incidents had become a huge problem, so much so that some workers were reluctant or refused to attend night-time callouts for fear of being attacked.

“Their behaviour is quite understandable because this job has turned out to be life-threatening. Unfortunately, this means our customers and residents will now have to deal with extended power outages.

“While we remain committed to rendering quality and sustainable services at all times, such incidents of criminality derail our efforts.

“We implore our communities to help protect these employees because they perform a critical task. We have people who need electricity to survive, but without it, they could die. Unfortunately, the criminals care less about that.

“However, the city will continue to provide quality and sustainable services to its customers,” said Dlamini.
Anyone with information on the latest attack is urged to contact the police. The number to call is 08600 10111.

Increasing attacks
In March, there was an attack on municipal electricians while working on Sarel Hattingh Street, Klippoortjie AH, Germiston, to stabilise electricity in the area.

“A mob believed to be community members reportedly picked up a contractors’ vehicle when they were working on-site and threw it over the bridge before setting it alight, causing the deaths of at least four people,” read a metro statement.

These attacks came as the metro battled widespread power outages and illegal connections across the city, including the informal settlements.
The Boksburg Advertiser contacted the technician’s family for comment, but they declined to comment for now.

Also Read: Metro concerned about attacks on power technicians