Employee was taken at the muzzle of Mahaza
Eskom has stopped services in parts of Cape Town’s Kaeritssha after employees were hijacked and taken over the weekend. In other parts of the town, residents escort Eskom workers themselves to prevent them from being attacked or taken away.
On Saturday, Eskom employees who had been called to solve the Mahaza problem were approached by three armed men.
According to the captain of police spokesman FC Van Wyke, the man forced the employee to point firearms and hand over the car keys. “Employees were forced to work by a man with a face covered. They were dropped at Green Point (Kaeritzsha). Four cell phones, a car battery, a two-tiered ladder and a device belonging to Eskom were stolen.”
The carjacking case is under investigation and no arrests have been made yet, he said.
Eskom has stopped service on Makhaza until further notice. In a statement Sunday, Eskom said this means delays in repairs. Eskom Management and Security Services will meet police and community leaders to find ways to ensure staff are safe before services resume.
Councillors for 95th district of Mahaza Ayanda Tethani said they have already received complaints from residents about electricity issues. “Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Eskom Services has been suspended in Mahaza due to crime. This is what happened in the previous Nkanini and Zwezwe.”
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Last year, Groundup reported two opportunities in which Eskom withdraws its services at Kaeritzsha in an unofficial settlement of Endrovini over crime. One day, a security vehicle accompanied by an Eskom worker was hijacked on an Endrovini. On the second occasion, Eskom employees who had been repairing the obstacles were held at the muzzle. They fled unharmed, but their car was shot.
At Sites C and Harare, at least two parts of Khayelitsha, residents are beginning to protect Eskom’s employees themselves. “The last time we had violence in our area was about two years ago, and most of the contractors were taken away,” said Annere Gabuza, a councillor for Harare. He has since said that whenever Eskom workers or Cape Town Service staff come to the area, “they let us know in advance and we will make sure there are enough people to protect them.”
“Sometimes, it’s up to us as residents to keep our community safe,” Gabuza said.
