Johannesburg - Electrical contractors were attacked by an angry mob of community members who wrongfully assumed that these contractors were cable thieves, in Germiston on Monday.
The attack resulted in the deaths of four people, and the City of Ekurhuleni strongly condemned the murders.
"On March 6, 2023, at approximately 5.35pm, one of our electricians requested assistance from contractors at Sarel Hattingh Street, Klippoortjie AH, Germiston, after noticing a group of community members on the bridge.
"When the electricians approached the scene, the community members picked up the vehicle of the contractors as they were working on site, threw it over the bridge, and set it alight," said a city statement.
City spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said that the barbaric murder of these innocent people was strongly condemned by the municipality.
"What makes the situation worse is that these victims of brutal murder were trying to assist with the stabilisation of electricity in the very same area where they were senselessly attacked," said Dlamini.
He added that the incident would, unfortunately, affect their turnaround time for service delivery interruptions because workers and contractors alike now feared for their lives.
"We cannot expose them to such risky situations until their safety is guaranteed," said Dlamini.
MMC for Water, Sanitation, and Energy, Senzi Sibeko, said that it had been brought to his attention that details of what he called a heinous crime had been circulated to the media by a political party represented in council.
"I want to implore leaders of political parties to refrain from sharing information that is still subject to investigation in order to not muddy the waters and prejudice investigations under way by law enforcement agencies.
"Equally, it is insensitive to the families of the deceased that their rights to privacy and dignity in this painful period are infringed upon for political point-scoring.
"I want to plead with our communities and ask that you refrain from engaging in acts of violence and vigilante justice and to allow city officials, or contractors in the employ of the city, to do their work to ensure that communities receive the services that they deserve," said Sibeko.
Sibeko also took the opportunity to express his heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the contractors.
The Star