Cape Town – Criminals targeted two more water trucks en route to vulnerable communities this week, robbing City staff of their belongings at gunpoint.
Mayoral committee member for water and waste Xanthea Limberg said the City was working hard to increase access to water for basic hygiene under lockdown. But on Sunday, two water trucks were targeted by opportunistic criminals in separate incidents.
The first incident occurred in the morning en route to the Hillstar depot, and delayed delivery of water to the Oasis and Ollieboom informal settlement areas along Weltevreden Road in Mitchells Plain.
Later in the afternoon, a second truck was targeted while delivering water in Capricorn, and the service had to be temporarily withdrawn.
“The water delivery schedules resumed again on Monday. The two incidents have been reported to SAPS. Staff have been offered trauma counselling,” Limberg said.
“Criminal acts cannot be tolerated. Beyond the trauma suffered by dedicated workers directly, the impact is felt by the vulnerable communities in the form of disruption to service delivery.
"These attacks are inexcusable and the City condemns them in the strongest possible terms.”
She said while the City strived to provide the highest possible level of access to water, this was sometimes constrained by factors beyond its control, including settlements illegally established on railway lines, on sand dunes or on a wetland.
“To date, the City’s emergency mitigation measures for these areas include the delivery of 33 million
litres of water via trucks, the installation of 93 water tanks in informal settlements, with efforts under way to increase this number, increased janitorial services.”
“The City is making every effort to ensure service delivery continues and contingency measures are in place as far as possible while ensuring the safety of our staff and the public,” Limberg said.
“During the delivery of water to the community, water and sanitation staff also reiterate the messaging of City health officials in terms of maintaining hygiene practices of handwashing after sneezing, coughing or touching surfaces in public places.”
She thanked dedicated teams doing everything possible to ensure the stepped-up delivery of basic services during this time, as part of the fight against the spread of Covid-19.
Residents in the informal settlements have been advised to adhere to the recommended 1.5m physical distancing while collecting water and to wash their hands regularly using soap before and after handling taps, as well as after using shared facilities.