A ward councillor has condemned an attack on Eskom staff in Site B Khayelitsha that saw the parastatal suspend its service there until further notice.
Two Eskom employees were attending to a maintenance complaint in X-Section on Monday when they were assaulted and had the keys to their vehicle and an Eskom Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA) stolen, Eskom said in a statement, adding that one of the workers had suffered severe injuries and was receiving medical attention.
The car keys had later been recovered but not the EDA, said Eskom.
“Unfortunately, there will be a delay in electricity restoration efforts and customers may experience prolonged durations without electricity. Eskom will be working closely with local authorities while reviewing the incident,” the statement said.
Ward councillor Thando Mpengesi condemned the attack and said he would call a meeting with community leaders to resolve the matter.
“We are going to have a meeting with the Eskom representative to find a solution, and we cannot allow lawlessness to occur in our communities and as leaders not to respond.”
He urged communities to protect crucial services.
Khayelitsha police station spokesperson Constable Asanda Dawethi said they were investigating cases of robbery and assault. No arrests have been made.