The City of Tshwane is set to investigate the basis for its neighbouring Thembisile Hani local Municipality’s contractors to conduct excavations on Tshwane municipal property, causing damage to a bulk water supply pipe in Ekandustria in Region 7.
Region 7 has recently hogged the headlines owing to water outage caused by the tampering of a valve that regulates and controls the flow of water to Ekangala and Rethabiseng areas.
The City described the tampering as an act of sabotage, saying it was furnished with information regarding the alleged saboteurs of the water infrastructure.
In a separate incident last week, Mayor Cilliers Brink pointed fingers at contractors from Thembisile Hani for damages caused on Tshwane’s bulk infrastructure.
On Wednesday night, he said, water supply to Ekandustria was restricted following a major leak that was uncovered on the bulk supply pipeline to the area.
“During an investigation conducted in the evening, City of Tshwane officials uncovered that contractors from the neighbouring Thembisile Hani Municipality had damaged a bulk water supply pipe while conducting excavations on Tshwane municipal property,” Brink said.
He said the basis for the excavations were still unknown as the Thembisile Hani didn’t have any bulk infrastructure in Tshwane.
“These contractors were operating outside of the geographical boundaries. I have since requested a full investigation into this matter,” he said.
The City’s 800mm pipe supplying the factories in Ekandustria was damaged.
Brink said: “As such officials had to rapidly isolate the supply out of the reservoir which has restricted supply to this area until the repair work can be concluded.”
He said Tshwane would engage with Thembisile Hani to establish the facts of the matter and to hold their contractors to account for the damage that has been done to its infrastructure. Critically, he said, the City wanted to establish the rationale and basis surrounding why contractors were conducting the work without informing Tshwane officials.
“Our teams are already assessing the damage to surmise the processes required towards ensuring this infrastructure is repaired. If anyone in the area has further information on this matter please send it to SteveN@tshwane.gov.za Members of the public are encouraged to report any vehicles that belong to Thembisile Hani Municipality that are operating in Tshwane’s jurisdiction,” Brink said.
Pretoria News
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