Stop attacks on ELM service infrastructure! – GTCoC
After a vicious assault on the Sebokeng Water Works last week, organised businesses in the Vaal have demanded action on armed attacks and other deliberate disruption against the Emfuleni Local Municipality’s (ELM) strategic infrastructure plans needed to improve service delivery in the community.
“Criminal syndicates are increasingly interested in the efforts made to restore and refurbish Emfuleni Local Municipality’s municipal infrastructure, as this will see major financial inputs into cable networks and transformers. “These factors serve as a target for criminal activities,” said intelligence sources. The Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce (GTCoC) has condemned the latest attack last week – one of many over past months – and offered its full co-operation to ELM Administrator Gilberto Martins to effectively manage infrastructure and community-based risks.
“We need interventions to not only manage physical risk to critical service delivery infrastructure but also to bring our communities on board with planning which affects them directly. “The GTCoC and our civil society allies will assist Administrator Martins in every way possible in this regard,” said GTCoC CEO Klippies Kritzinger. This follows a vicious attack by an armed gang at the Sebokeng Water Works last week in which ELM employees were assaulted and robbed of personal possessions and electrical cable worth an undisclosed amount. Administrator Martins is also known to be “extremely concerned” at such attacks which destroy efforts to restore and improve water and sanitation infrastructure for the direct benefit of the whole community, especially marginalised township residents.
