A City of Cape Town supervisor was on Tuesday shot by a group of teenagers while repairing a collapsed sewer pipeline in Samora Machel.
The City said that the bullet narrowly missed his spine.
“Earlier today (Tuesday), four suspected teenagers robbed a City team of their belongings, such as wallets and cellphones, while they were busy repairing a collapsed sewer in Helen Joseph Street, Samora Machel.
“The supervisor, who is also the driver, was shot and has been hospitalised after the bullet narrowly missed his spine. He will need to undergo surgery and his condition is being monitored closely,” the City said.
The City said that some of the staff members who were left traumatised by the violent attack were taken home. Trauma counselling was available to those who wish to receive it.
Staff member shot while they were busy repairing a collapsed sewer pipeline. Water and sanitation services were temporarily withdrawn from Samora Machel.
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— City of Cape Town (@CityofCT) April 6, 2021
Following the incident, the City said it was temporarily withdrawing its services from the area until further notice.
“The City condemns this attack on our staff in the strongest terms possible. It is unconscionable to target staff who are on site going about their public service duties, and the City will do everything in its power to assist the SAPS in its efforts to bring the guilty parties to book.
“The safety and well-being of staff must be prioritised and as such, teams have been withdrawn from Samora Machel until it is safe for them to return. Sadly, this negatively impacts service delivery to residents,” the City said.
The City added: “We ask residents to please bear with us as water-related service requests, such as clearing sewer blockages or repairing burst pipes, will unfortunately not be attended to during this time. Residents are assured that every effort is being made to ensure the services resume as soon as it is safe to do so.