Municipality takes action against employee seen stealing cables
A video of a municipal employee stealing electrical cables went viral on social media, and the eThekwini Municipality investigates.
THE eThekwini Municipality has taken action against one of their employees who was seen stealing electrical cables using the City’s vehicle in a video that has since gone viral on social media.
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The municipality has confirmed that the man in the video is employed by the City’s Water and Sanitation Unit. He has been served with an immediate precautionary suspension while an internal investigation is underway. “The employee has been charged internally with a case of Municipal Property Theft and Unauthorised Usage of a Municipal Vehicle. The employee was not on official duty when he was caught in the possession of the electricity cables. A criminal case has also been opened with the police.”
The video was circulated online after the man was apprehended by the community of the Msahweni area. This comes just a day after the municipality celebrated Fraud and Corruption Awareness Week, where they released a statement saying that they will meet employees committing fraud with the full might of the law as they will not turn a blind eye to fraudulent activities.
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“We have adopted a zero-tolerance approach to any fraud, corruption or illegal activity by employees. We urge community members to be the ‘eyes and ears’ of the municipality and report any illegal activity. This will help to safeguard municipal infrastructure. The theft and vandalism of municipal infrastructure undermines the integrity of the city and delays service delivery,” said the municipality.
The City urges the public to report any fraud, corruption and maladministration to the City Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU) on 0800 20 20 20. All services rendered by CIIU are free, and the identity of the whistleblowers will be protected.
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