The Orkney Wastewater Treatment Plant in the North West province was recently robbed by 15 thieves on Thursday, 7 April 2016.

The thieves tied the security guards and stole cables from the transformer and at the switchgear room.

According to Sputnik Ratau Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation this is not the first incident of its kind to take place, “a similar situation arose in Delareyville where cables were stolen at a pump station supplying the town with water,” he notes.

The thieves also damaged some of the switchgear when they stole the cables. Moreover, the same case happened at the Theronia plant in Welkom.

“The Department of Water and Sanitation is concerned that these crimes are increasing and the infrastructure of the department is being vandalised and the lives of the staff working at these plants put at risk,” says Ratau.

He notes that as part of the emergency intervention by the department to refurbish and repair the dysfunctional Wastewater treatment works, the department will ensure that better security measures are put in place.

“The department is also urging all South Africans to work together to preserve the infrastructure and to report any crimes they may witness to the departmental hotline.”

“All must realise that the destruction of infrastructure does is not only a criminal activity that must be reported to the authorities, it also sets the country back in terms of the required service delivery that the electorate has a democratic right to,” he concludes.