Cape Town - A City official was injured, and another person hit by a stray bullet, after three suspects attempted to rob the City worker responding to a burst pipe in Nyanga on Saturday.
Police spokesperson Andre Traut said the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
“(Saturday) morning at around 11:45am, a 42-year-old male employee of the City of Cape Town was shot and wounded in Klipfontein Road Crossroads, Nyanga, while he was busy repairing a burst water pipe in the area.
“Three suspects approached the victim in an attempt to rob him of his belongings when he was shot. A second victim was shot and wounded when he was hit by a stray bullet. Both victims were admitted to hospital, while the suspects are being sought,” said Traut.
Mayco Member for Community Services Zahid Badroodien said additional security support is necessary to accompany officials to ensure that they are able to work without being targeted.
“At approximately 11:30 am on Saturday, one of our officials who works in the Informal Settlements Basic Services branch was shot twice while en route to respond to a burst pipe in the Klipfontein Mission Station community.
“It is my understanding that he was a victim of an attempted robbery. He was shot … once in the foot and once in the leg. He has been admitted to the hospital and is currently receiving care.
“The community of Phillipi East is particularly dangerous for our officials. A number of attacks have been reported from this area while officials are responding to service requests. These attacks include hijackings, theft of personal belongings and theft of city equipment.”
Because of the violent attacks, service delivery in these communities is often delayed, he said.
“It is this delay in an ability to respond to service requests quickly in addition to ongoing vandalism of our infrastructure that causes sewage to overflow when pump stations are vandalised due to illegal connections or pump failure due to tyres getting stuck in the pumps - among other examples. My prayers and thoughts are with our official, his family, and all the colleagues at this difficult time,” said Badroodien.
Community activist Lwandle Nikelo said the communities should be the first people to protect City officials when attending to community issues.
“These kinds of acts delay services by the City. It makes no sense that people would attack a person who is trying to help the community and the same people who attack these people will protest and demand services from the City forgetting that they attack them.
“The officials are supposed to be protected by the community when attending to our issues, the officials are always at risk, and they work under life-threatening conditions at all times. Last year three City officials were attacked while trying to fix a sewage pipe, their cellphones and other items were taken by suspects. This has to come to an end and the community must take it upon themselves to protect City officials,” said Nikelo.
Anyone with information on the incident can anonymously contact Crime Stop on 0860010111, or SMS Crime Line on 32211.
Cape Times