Cape Town - After two of its employees were robbed of their personal belongings and a service vehicle on Sunday, Eskom has decided to suspend its services to the Zwezwe informal settlement in Khayelitsha.
The Eskom workers had been in the area on Sunday evening to fix a faulty transformer when three men approached and proceeded to rob them in the presence of local community leaders who had volunteered to guard them.
According to ward 95 councillor Ayanda Tetani (ANC), Sunday’s incident was the first time that Eskom workers were robbed. Before the latest robbery, community leaders had volunteered to accompany vehicles entering the area as they believed that those who robbed these services were part of the community.
Eskom withdrew its services with immediate effect, saying it would mean a much greater delay in electricity restoration efforts with affected customers likely to experience a longer period without electricity.
“Eskom senior management and its internal security services will engage the SAPS and local community leadership regarding the incident and find solutions to ensure the safety of staff before services may resume,” Eskom said.
Eskom Cape Coastal Cluster general manager Mbulelo Yedwa said: “We urge the community to take a stand against crime and come forward and report any criminal activity against our staff or our infrastructure. The safety of our staff is non-negotiable and if any violence or harassment continues, we will prioritise other electricity supply areas where their safety is guaranteed.”
Tetani said: “I am not pleased with the continued acts of extortion leading to the suffering of the community members. It is high time that both police officers and law-enforcement teams intervene in this situation.
“As a councillor, I will be having a meeting with Eskom; we need to go back to the drawing and find other solutions to the problem.”
Police spokesperson Malcolm Potjie said Harare police had opened a car-jacking case for further investigation.
Communities are requested to report crime to authorities or to the Eskom crime line at 0800 112 722. Eskom continues to work with law-enforcement agencies to curb criminal activities including electricity theft. They may remain anonymous.