Vandalism at Seawinds construction works

It cost the City R3 million to repair damaged excavators.

A security guard was injured and two excavators damaged at the construction site of the new R85 million Retreat sewer pump station in Seawinds, Lavender Hill, at about midnight last Thursday, November 12.

The City of Cape Town’s Water and Waste directorate said it strongly condemns the criminal act.

One excavator was damaged beyond repair by a petrol bomb.

“The extent of the damage is approximately R3 million,” said Xanthea Limberg, Mayoral committee member for water and waste.

One of the security guards on site was also injured and had to be taken to hospital after trying to protect the

equipment.

“The City has been advised that he is in a stable condition,” said Ms Limberg.

Construction started on July 10 and Ms Limberg said the contractor is making use of local labour in line with the conditions of the contract.

“The destruction of assets on the site of a major infrastructural investment project is immensely frustrating. We cannot condone activities that deny services to other residents.

“We want to assure our residents that we have been and will continue to make every effort to ensure that we continue to deliver services as far as possible while prioritising the safety of our staff and the public we serve,” said Ms Limberg.

When asked if the City will be deploying more security guards to prevent another attack, Ms Limberg said: “It is the contractor’s responsibility to ensure security for their equipment as per the conditions of the contract.”

There are currently six security guards on the site, she said.

The City calls on residents to provide information about planned illegal activities, including land invasions and destructive protests before they happen.

For anonymous tip-offs, call 112 from a cellphone (toll free) and 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 for emergencies.

Muizenberg police did not provide a comment about the incident by the time of going to print.