The Rep 11 December 2020

2 Tel: (045) 839-4040 / editorial: mjekulal@therep.co.za / advertising: charodinev@therep.co.za 11 December 2020 THE R E P R ES E N TAT I V E
Tilted electricity poles a danger
Residents say attempts to report issue ignored
ZINTLE BOBELO
Dangerously tilted
electricity poles
continue to pose a high
risk in residential areas around
Enoch Mgijima Local
Municipality (EMLM).
Concerned New Rest
residents this week reported
three leaning poles in Church
Street and called on the local
authority to fix them u r g e n t l y.
Resident Kenny Hector said
his attempts to report the issue
to the municipality were
unsuccessful.
“I have reported this to the
administrator, the mayor and at
the technical services
department. I contacted the new
councillor of ward 11, Andile
Ganca. The one pole opposite
my house is about to fall over.
“This is a major problem . . .
we’ve had problems in the past
and people have promised to
come, but they never do.
“This is a real danger
because these poles can fall
over and burn.
“There is a lot of traffic in this
area. I am worried about the
houses and the cars that drive
past. People can be injured.”
Hector said Tuesday’s strong
winds caused the already
dilapidated power poles to lean
over the busy road.
“These poles have been here
for ages and they need
maintenance. I have reported
this numerous times and there is
no response.”
Another resident, Andrew
Phillips, who also personally
reported the matter at the
technical services office, said
the situation was “an emergency
because lives are at risk”.
“Apparently they were going
to arrange for someone to
replace these poles on
We d n e s d ay.”
Enoch Mgijima Local
Municipality spokesperson
Lonwabo Kowa said areas
including zone one, Ezibeleni
and Wodehouse Street in
Southbourne were also affected.
“The Church Street matter
was reported at the call centre,
and recorded.
“The extent of the damages
prompted the municipality to
swiftly hire a contractor to deal
with these worst-affected areas.
“Church Street in New Rest
was planned for Thursday this
week. Inclement weather
conditions experienced during
the week caused power outages
which damaged electrical
i n f ra s t r u c t u r e .
“Both Enoch Mgijima and
Eskom customers in Enoch
Mgijima were affected.”
Kowa appealed to all
municipal customers to report
power outages, and asked
Eskom customers to contact the
power utility and “not the
municipal call centre”.
LIVES AT RISK: Three tilted electricity poles pose a threat to
people walking, driving or residing along Church Street, in
New Rest Picture: ZINTLE BOBELO
Angry mob catches man
stealing money at ATM
ABONGILE
S O L U N D WA N A
An angry mob ensured
there was no room for
escape for a t r i ck s t e r
caught red-handed
stealing money from a
man at an FNB ATM in
Cathcart Road on
Tu e s d ay.
While police
vehicles took a while
to arrive at the scene,
the angry crowd took
justice into their own
hands, interrogating
the alleged thief with
punches, slaps, bricks
BEEF BRISKET
PORK CUTLETS / ROAST
MUTTON LOIN CHOPS
EC TOMATO SAUSAGE
PORK STEW PACK
HONEY GLAZED PORK CHEEKS
and a municipal street
cleaning rake in a freef
o r- a l l .
The blood that
gushed down his face
did not deter the
crowd. Instead they
were calling for him to
be beaten more.
The suspect was
accused of stealing
R4,000 from the
victim, and his bank
card.
According to
eyewitness Sihle
Moyeni, a street
vendor in Cathcart
Road, the thief got out
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of a white Polo Vivo
that was parked near
the bank.
“I saw the man get
out of the vehicle
which remained
parked near the bank.
However, when he
was caught stealing at
the ATM, he ran to
open the door of the
car, which drove off
before he could make
it inside.”
He said the alleged
thief then escaped into
Markhams store where
a crowd began to
assemble, demanding
that he come out.
The Rep reporter
arrived as the mob
started to punish him.
When the police
arrived he was
arrested and the victim
was taken to the
police station to open
a case.
After the arrest and
as some of the crowd
members were about
to disperse, they
spotted another man
on the rooftop of a
nearby building and
initially linked him to
the arrested suspect.
He was brought
down from the rooftop
and handed a few
slaps before the police
arrived and arrested
him. He was,
however, released as
he appeared to be
mentally unbalanced.
Moyeni said a
similar incident in
which a man’s bank
card was stolen by a
man alone in a white
Hyundai with a GP
number plate, took
place in the area last
Fr i d ay.
Moyeni said the
suspect was caught by
residents while trying
to flee with a victim’s
bank card.
In an ironic turn of
events, t h i e ve s
apparently made off
with the suspect’s
spare wheel and other
valuable items.
Red Guard was
contacted and the
man was taken to the
police station but was
spotted recovering his
vehicle the next day.
Po l i c e
spokesperson Namhla
Mdleleni said the first
suspect was arrested
on a fraud case.
“Police were
summoned when the
community caught a
suspect who had
robbed an old man at
the bank,” Mdleleni
said.
“The police appeal
to the community to
avoid assistance at the
bank from strangers
and also not to allow
anyone next to them
when they are at the
tellers.
“We condemn
mob justice.
“We appeal to the
community that when
someone is allegedly
committing an offence
not to take the law into
their own hands, but
to immediately inform
the police.”
The suspect was
expected to appear in
the Queenstown
m a g i s t ra t e ’s court
ye s t e r d ay.
OLIVET COLLEGE
Oldest EFF
councillor in EC
laid to rest
ABONGILE SOLUNDWANA
The oldest Economic Freedom
Fighters official in the Eastern Cape,
PR councillor Lulama Mvo, 85, was
laid to rest in Cofimvaba on
S a t u r d ay.
Mvo had been serving as a PR
councillor at Intsika Yethu Local
Municipality since the 2016
general election and died after a
short illness last Monday.
EFF Chris Hani regional
chairperson Xhanti Kani said: “M vo
joined the EFF from the beginning,
when it was not fashionable to
wear an EFF beret, and has been a
solid ground force, a community
leader and activist who fought for
economic freedom in our lifetime.”
According to Kani, Mvo wanted
to see the people of Intsika Yethu
economically free and had strongly
believed that in 2021, Intsika Yethu
Municipality would be governed by
the EFF.
Although Mvo was old in age
Kani said his heart resonated with
young people.
He said that the land policy of
the EFF which spoke to his needs as
a citizen was what led him to join
the party.
“May his soul rest in
revolutionary peace. Lala Ngoxolo
Dontsa!! (clan name) We shall pick
up your spear and continue the
fight for economic freedom in our
l i f e t i m e .”
Intsika Yethu municipal
EFF FIGHTER: The late Intsika
Yethu Local Municipality PR
councillor, Lulama Mvo
Picture: SUPPLIED
manager Siyabulela Koyo said Mvo
was a dedicated councillor and a
strong advocate for the committee
he served on.
“The passing of Mvo, an elected
servant of the people, leaves a void
in the sphere of government.
“It has left the council
continuing to fight against poverty,
inequality and unemployment as
he made a great contribution in the
lives of the people of Intsika Yethu
M u n i c i p a l i t y.”
Koyo said that the municipality
had lost a valuable asset who was a
friend and leader in the community.
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