City moves to protect threatened infrastructure

Johannesburg - Following three recent attacks on City Power security personnel and infrastructure, Mayor Dr Mpho Phalatse has instructed Head of Group Forensic and Investigation Services (GFIS) commissioner Shadrack Sibiya to set up a team to work with law enforcement to deal with the issue.

“My office will also be coordinating and monitoring efforts of stakeholders and other spheres of government to ensure this process moves with precision, and exhaust all provisions of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act,” Phalatse said.

Brand ing Evidentiary Breathalyser Alcohol Testing (EBAT) and registered medical practitioners. Following that, the AECs are all fully equipped to also ensure the evidence is properly collected and made admissible in court.

With SAB Sharp targets in mind, and in partnership with the National Department of Transport and relevant provincial authorities, SAB has initiated and facilitated several initiatives around the country.

In Gauteng, SAB, along with SAPS and JMPD will be hosting several road safety shows across the province as well as the Rand Easter Show.

In the Western and Eastern Cape, care packages filled with snacks, water and an energy bar will be handed out to long-distance taxi drivers and motorists to help them keep hydrated and energised. These will be distributed at specific roadblocks set up on the provincial border between Beaufort West and Aberdeen.

In KwaZulu-Natal, Driver Wellness Education points will be set up on 14 and 15 April at Caribbean Estate in Ugu District and Shel Midway in Escourt.

“The main aim of these is to create awareness and provide information on the devastating impact of alcohol abuse on our roads during the Easter period and beyond. The key to creating a national sense of responsibility lies in partnerships. As corporates, it is our duty to collaborate with government and civil society as we work towards a shared purpose of nurturing a more responsible and thriving society. For us, that means driving responsible drinking, especially on our roads during the holidays.” Vundla says.

She added that on March 30 an armed gang attacked security personnel at the Cydna substation. They were forced to lie on the floor as the gang stole several hundred kilogrammes of underground cables. On March 31 two City Power security guards were shot dead and robbed of their firearms in Carr Street, Newtown, after ferrying burned-out copper cables to a nearby depot from the scene of an underground fire in the CBD.

On April 1 two City Power security personnel exchanged fire with assailants in Kyasands. One of the security guards was wounded in the head and rushed to hospital.

“In my interactions with local authorities across the country it is clear that these incidents are not only in Johannesburg, and a coordinated plan led by national government is needed to prevent these crimes and protect critical infrastructure. We require inputs and resources from all spheres of government. I have appealed to President Cyril Ramaphosa, the National Prosecuting Authority and Gauteng Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela to avail resources to investigate and prosecute what is becoming a trend aimed at sabotaging Johannesburg’s already fragile infrastructure,” Phalatse said.

She added that it is important that national and provincial role-players add their resources to protect the city’s economic infrastructure and prevent economic sabotage that is