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A river clean-up at the Langvlei canal in Retreat was hampered after criminals broke a window of an excavator and stole its battery last week.
Ward 72 councillor Kevin Southgate told People’s Post that there has been a general increase in crime in the Retreat area with workers needing protection by law enforcement in order to carry out their duties.
“It’s a general concern I have with the increase of criminal activity in the area. A number of weeks ago, the City was busy replacing paving in Retreat Road because it was being stolen and the officials were threatened while doing the work. A law enforcement vehicle had to later be stationed there so that the officials could safely replace the pavement.”
He added in a separate incident an excavator used to clean the Langvlei waterway was vandalised a day after it entered the area.
“In Langvlei, we have been struggling for months to have to clean waterways. Two weeks ago, while they were parking off the excavator, between the time they parked it and the security came on duty, the battery was stolen which meant they couldn’t work for two weeks.”
Southgate said just a day after replacing the battery criminals broke the window of the same excavator to get to the new battery.
“The overall concern is that while we require services to be rendered there is the issue of crime and vandalism.
“We cannot allow staff to work in an environment where they are threatened and property is vandalised. At the end of the day it costs the City so it costs the taxpayers.”
In a statement last week, the City’s Mayco member for water and sanitation Zahid Badroodien said the clean-up project at Langvlei was plagued by a number of challenges.
“On the first day of the operation the excavator was targeted by a number of criminals who stole the battery just after the operating team left the site. At the start of the project security was arranged but only for after hours and the battery was stolen during this changeover.
“An additional security guard was added for the day shift to protect the work area as well as the operations team whilst the work was being undertaken.”
He added that the additional security did not deter criminals.
“Another effort was made to steal parts from the excavator.
“It is becoming more and more challenging to conduct the necessary business to keep our canals and rivers clean and free flowing. Once again, I appeal to community members to help the City by being vigilant and reporting any attempt of theft and vandalism to 021 480 7700.
“The City will continue to ensure the necessary safety measures are in place to conduct the work that needs to be undertaken.”
