Four attacks in 10 days, tanker hijacked

PEOPLE who fetch water from the Trenance Park borehole are putting their lives at risk.

That is according to Roshan LilRuthan, spokesperson for the Verulam Water Crisis Committee.

He said a rising number of incidents had been reported of people who had queued at the borehole for water and were attacked and robbed.

“The borehole is situated in an area ridden with crime. It was placed adjacent to an informal housing, which is not the safest area. The municipality did not consult with us when it was installed,” he said.

Lil-Ruthan said that due to limited or no water tankers, women, children and the elderly were forced to queue at the borehole.

“Women with their children, as well as elderly men, fetch water during the day. However, those who return from work in the afternoons have no choice but to venture out at night to get their supply of water.”

He added that their safety concerns were escalated to police, metro police and councillors.

“We had asked the police to step up patrols and vigilance during the evening when people go for water. But the Verulam police station appears to be crime-ridden itself,” he claimed.

The community, he said, were up in arms about the crime.

“One of these days , the community will take the law into their own hands. Police and local authorities leave the community with no choice but to protect themselves. They have no protection and no water,” he said.

Lil-Ruthan added that with the area being a hot spot for crime, residents were “sitting ducks” while they waited to collect water.

“The thugs know there’s no security.

We have neighbourhood watch volunteers who stand guard in the evening, but the perpetrators are watching and they know when to pounce.”

Prem Balram, head of Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), said in the last 10 days there had been four incidents where people were attacked in the Verulam area while they queued for water.

“It is sad that old people fetching water from the tankers are robbed and attacked. We also had an incident where a water tanker was hijacked. The tanker was traced to the Mayville area and a foreign national was found driving it.

“The driver had been filling up with water to take to a local hospital when he was hijacked,” Balram said.

“The most horrific thing is that elderly people who have no possessions are stabbed.

“We advise people to go to fetch water in groups and preferably during the day.”