Durban — Police are still probing the burning of two trucks fixed with tanks to carry water that were set alight on Friday while parked at Avon Industrial Park, Dundee, in KwaZulu-Natal.
The trucks were allocated to service the Endumeni Local Municipality, leaving the community enraged.
Police would not divulge how far they were with their investigations.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said a case of malicious damage to property was opened at Dundee police station after two water tankers were set alight by unknown suspects.
The Umzinyathi Municipality mayor, councillor Petros Ngubane, said the trucks played a big role in helping bring water to the community. He hoped those involved would be arrested and punished.
Ngubane urged the community to co-operate by giving information anonymously to the Dundee police. Ngubane said this incident would impede service delivery and development plans.
DA councillor Rajan Maharaj explained that water tankers were allocated to the four municipalities within the uMzinyathi District in order to mitigate the shortages, including Msinga, Umvoti, Nquthu and Endumeni.
Maharaj said Endumeni faced a four-day period where no water was supplied in several areas and some areas remained without water for extended periods. Maharaj said there had been various unconfirmed “explanations” for the crisis, such as load shedding, servicing of pumps and challenges with contractors.
“This act of criminality will further exacerbate this already seemingly insurmountable crisis. Possible deployment of tankers from other affected areas to service Endumeni will inevitably cause supply shortages in its originally allocated municipality. There are many unforeseen challenges that have surfaced,” Maharaj said.
Daily News