Metro, police at odds over ‘sabotage’

Both play blame game for lack of progress in investigations into water cuts

POLICE and municipal officials have laid the blame for a lack of action over what the municipality has called sabotage of water pipes squarely at each other’s feet. It emerged yesterday that police, who said they could not proceed with investigations as they had not been given a municipal report, did have the report – a detective had simply not told her superiors.

Later, police said the report was not detailed enough and they were waiting for a second report to continue investigating.

Since last month, when councillor Annette Lovemore laid a criminal complaint over the alleged tampering, police claimed they were waiting for reports pointing out where pipes had allegedly been shut off.

Only after questions from The Herald did police realise that the report had been submitted to them last week already.

This comes after the DA issued a statement earlier this week calling on police to prioritise and speed up its investigations into sabotage by some municipal officials.

Yesterday morning, Motherwell cluster commander Major-General Dawie Rabie lashed out at the municipality, saying: “The police have been in contact with the metro offices from the start when the cases were initially opened, pointing out the crucial need for the identification of the specific connection points where tampering took place.

“We have been eagerly awaiting a report from the metro but various attempts to obtain this document have proved unsuccessful.”

However, Trollip’s chief of staff Kristoff Adelbert said a detective had collected a comprehensive report on the sabotage of municipal infrastructure on Wednesday last week.

Adelbert said another report was also being compiled by the infrastructure and engineering division on alleged sabotage which occurred over the past weekend.

Police spokesman Captain Andre Beetge said the first report was only discovered after The Herald queried why no action had been taken.

Initially, he said three cases had been opened but could not be taken forward due to the lack of information from the municipality.

By midday yesterday, Beetge backtracked, saying Rabie had not been informed about the report.

“I can confirm that one report was submitted to detectives at New Brighton last week. I cannot comment on why they did not inform their commanders,” he said.

Beetge said they were awaiting the engineers’ report.

“They are aware we are awaiting this report. The original report does not even specify where the exact locations of the valves are.”

He said police would meet with municipal engineers today “and have them take us to the right [valves]”.

Adelbert dismissed Beetge’s assertion that another report was needed.

“All the evidence we have collated stretching from KwaNobuhle to New Brighton and other suburbs is in that one report,” he said.

According to the law, those convicted of tampering with or sabotage of municipal infrastructure could face up to 30 years in jail or fines of up to R100-million.

The furore came after DA Eastern Cape spokesman Mlindi Nhanha released a statement on Monday asking police to speed up their probe.

Salt Lake residents angry about a lack of water and electricity last weekend went on the rampage, pelting cars with stones.

According to Nhanha, over the past weekend the Kwazakhele, New Brighton, Zwide and Soweto-on-Sea areas were left without water amid claims that people in an unmarked vehicle had closed a water valve.