A resident, Wendy Huber’s inquisitive nature has saved her from possibly becoming a victim of crime after a ‘suspicious’ man claiming to be from City Power tried to gain entry to her property.
Huber was walking back home with her dogs when she noticed a man standing by the gate of her house. According to her, the man who kept looking up at the electricity wires and her property claimed to be an official from City Power and inspecting electricity meters.
“I asked for his identity card but he never produced one. I am an inquisitive person and noticed he was also not wearing a branded City Power uniform. He had no vehicle and he was not friendly like the other officials who usually come. I also found it odd that he came a week after the regular City Power employee came to inspect our meter,” she said.
Huber said she asked the man to return after 30 minutes while she called City Power to verify. “I sat outside the door for about two hours but he never returned. Unfortunately, I also could not get hold of City Power on the phone,” she added.
Meanwhile, City Power has warned residents about a bogus armed official on the run who has been terrorising communities. The man who has been identified as Mbali Zikode allegedly entered a home in Glenvista recently and claimed to be a contractor from City Power doing meter readings.
According to spokesperson for City Power Isaac Mangena, Zikode held the home owner, her daughter and helper at gunpoint. He fled the scene without taking anything. Police allegedly followed him to his home in Soweto where he evaded arrest.
While searching his house, police found stolen property, clothes allegedly worn during a robbery including City Power vests and two firearms. One of the firearms was linked to a house robbery in Linden.
Mangena added,”City Power would like to distance itself from this man. Information we have gathered is that he was arrested and convicted to seven months’ imprisonment or a fine for a housebreaking in February 2016. He seems to be up to his old tricks again with more reports from across the City.”
The man is regarded as dangerous and residents are advised to immediately contact the police or the City Power Risk Management on 011 490 7900/11.
