Mabopane residents hold Tshwane staff hostage
Angry residents blockaded the exit to prevent staff from leaving the reservoir.
Tshwane staff has been held hostage and threatened with violence in Mabopane, north of the city.
Spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the staff had just finished ripping off illegal water connections to the Mabopane reservoir on Thursday morning, and the angry locals did not want this done.
“The residents blocked the exit out of the reservoir with rocks to prevent the staff from leaving.”
Tshwane officials from the Water & Sanitation Department came under attack while cracking down on illegal connections at the Mabopane Reservoir. pic.twitter.com/vrUdGEnhIm
— City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) December 14, 2023
The staff, accompanied by a Tshwane metro police (TMPD) managed to escape unharmed after police back-up was summoned.
Bokaba said Tshwane is ripping off the illegal connection to address the phenomenon of illegal water connections on its water distribution system.
“These illegal connections have been causing significant water supply interruptions to high-lying areas in Mabopane, particularly blocks A, B, D, M, S, V, R and T, located under the Odi Hospital and Klipgat Reservoir zone.”
He said paying customers in the affected areas have endured intermittent water supply outages due to the illegal and criminal actions of the residents who live in and around the said reservoir.
The metro has since said it takes this matter very seriously and has adopted a firm stance against those who engage in water theft and illegal connections to its reservoirs and water distribution lines.
“These actions not only compromise the integrity of the water supply system but also deprive legitimate and loyal customers of their rightful access to water.”
Bokaba said water theft and illegal connections pose a significant risk to the sustainability of the water supply infrastructure.
He said the city remains committed to providing reliable and uninterrupted water supply to all its residents.
“Efforts are being made to strengthen the water infrastructure and enhance monitoring systems to prevent future incidents of water theft and illegal connections. The city administration appreciates the cooperation and understanding of its loyal paying customers during this operation.
By working together, we can ensure a fair and equitable distribution of water resources and maintain the integrity of our water supply system.”
He urged all residents to refrain from engaging in such activities and to report any suspicious behaviour or unauthorised connection to the relevant authorities such as the ward councillors, TMPD or nearest customer care centre.
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