READ: Water leak repaired
Gillian Miller, group company secretary and corporate services executive for Benoni-based earth moving company Diesel Power, said the company was approached by members of the Benoni Community Policing Forum (CPF) to assist in ridding an area of land (behind Railway Avenue) of rubble and vegetation.
The CPF hopes the clean-up will rid the area of criminal activity, as it served as a hiding place for criminals and their activities.
Diesel Power arrived on site on August 6 and worked for over a week, sponsoring over R185 000 in equipment and labour.
On August 13, one of the bulldozers made contact with a main water line in the veld.
“We do not shy away from our responsibility,” said Miller.
“We got hold of the council and they came out four hours later.”
She said the company regrets the unfortunate incident.
“We humbly apologise for the inconvenience, but we believe the job that was done there will benefit the community in the long run,” she added.
“We hope the clean-up and job done there will be more memorable than us nicking the pipe
Miller said the company was given the go-ahead to proceed with the project, and cannot be held financially responsible, as no documentation was signed.
She said the incident occurred on the day the project was scheduled to end.
Councillor for Ward 28, Mary Gobey, came to the defence of the company, saying: “Diesel Power spent a vast amount of money doing the work the EMM could not do; it’s EMM’s job to keep this place tidy, not the community or businesses.”
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