Africa-Press – South-Africa. Gunmen attacked three City of Cape Town contract employees in Macassar over the weekend and robbed them of their valuables.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said Macassar police registered an armed robbery case after the incident in Macassar Road on Saturday afternoon.
“According to reports, armed suspects approached the workers, robbed them of their cellular telephones and a VW Citi Golf and fled the scene. The suspects are yet to be arrested,” he said.
According to ward councillor Peter Helfrich, one of the victims said 10 armed men robbed the contractors, who were working on a 400mm-diameter pipeline to link the treatment effluent network between wastewater treatment works in Zandvliet and Macassar.
Helfrich said the victim asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal.
The men drove in a white 1400 Nissan bakkie and forced them to the ground.
“The victim confirmed that all the men were armed and aggressively explained to them that if they did not cooperate, they would be shot,” Helfrich said.
The stretch of road was in the news recently after four bodies were found there.
News24 previously reported that the four bodies were found in the area between 27 May and 4 June.
Beaches along the False Bay coastline are also a major concern for communities and law enforcement agencies after a number of bodies were dumped there in recent years.
The City has been approached for comment, which will be added once received.
The attack on City contractors comes only days after four provincial government employees narrowly escaped a hijacking in Khayelitsha.
The Western Cape Department of Social Development (WCDSD) staff were targeted on Friday afternoon while returning from facilitating a substance use disorder and crime prevention programme, along with the police and non-governmental organisations, in Site C.
Social Development MEC Sharna Fernandez said:
“Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, and Nyanga have been identified as hotspots for these kinds of attacks on Western Cape government workers. This is not the first time WCDSD staff members have come under attack while attempting to perform their duties. When staff have to conduct home visits in these areas, they can usually only do so if accompanied by SAPS or law enforcement officers, which is not sustainable due to limited resources,” she added.
Twigg said the safety and security of other government departments formed part of the police’s efforts to create a safe environment for all people in South Africa.
“Therefore, police assist government departments by escorting them if requests are made. The South African Police Service believes in service excellence and will do what forms part of their mandate to serve and protect,” he added.
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