Today, 27 April, on Freedom Day, essential services City staff were attacked while attending to a water supply disruption in the Lower Crossroads area. A senior staff member was shot and is receiving medical attention.

The team was withdrawn for safety reasons. No further details are available at this stage. The South African Police Service were nearby and the matter is known to them and is being investigated.

A second standby team is being assembled and will be deployed to attend to the emergency valve replacement that is needed, as soon as it is safe to do so.

Residents are advised that this matter is being attended to, and that the full water pressure to the area will be restored as soon as it is safe to do so.

We are deeply saddened by the news that a dedicated essential worker has been harmed while going about his duties. The teams providing water truck services to enhance water supply to informal settlement areas have also been subjected to criminal attacks.

Our staff are showing up every day to ensure that the basic services needs of our communities are being met and this kind of violence against them is condemned in the strongest possible terms.

Anyone with information about today’s incident is encouraged to contact the local SAPS for their investigation.