Community leaders in Thabo Mbeki informal settlement in Philippi say the City has yet to inform the family of two children who died when they stepped on live wires allegedly left uncovered about the outcome of its investigation into the deaths.
Mayco member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services and Energy Xanthea Limberg confirmed that the “external investigation” had been completed.
She said it would be released to interested parties after senior management had had an opportunity to review the findings.
On November1 last year, cousins Luniko, 5, and Lindani, 6, Madolo were electrocuted to death a stone’s throw away from their home.
The previous week the City had sent electricians to repair the community’s street lights, which had not been working effectively for more than three years.
Community leaders said that during the process of repairing the street lights, “live wires were left exposed by the workers”.
The family says it should have been alerted and prov ided with a copy of the investigation immediately after its completion.
Thabo Mbeki informal settlement leader Buzwe Kali said the family had not been informed that the investigation was complete, and was not provided with a copy of the investigation.
“The family should be the first people to see the completed investigation, they deserve to know the truth, and it’s been six months since the incident,” said Kali. “They never responded to our memorandum.
‘‘We have been communicating with the City since December, but our pleas seem to be falling on deaf ears.
“We are still afraid to walk on the pathways, and children are at risk of being electrocuted if this is not fixed. The electricity poles have not been fixed, despite numerous attempts to have them fixed.”
Asked whether the City had repaired the faulty electricity in the area, Limberg said there was a “high concentration of illegal connections, theft and vandalism, which increases the frequency of faults”.
“The City will usually repair faults as soon as possible after reports are received, however contractors in the area are currently being intimidated by locals who are trying to force the City to use only contractors they have approved,” said Limberg.
She said intimidation of workers was affecting response times.
“Although the City has much focus on local labour components in all of its contracts, demands that tenders be given exclusively to only one grouping of contractors cannot be accepted,” Limberg said.