10 attackers accost security guards at Tshwane sewage plant

The Temba waste water treatment plant was sabotaged by 10 attackers who held up  security guards on duty at gunpoint, the City of Tshwane says.

The four guards were overpowered, handcuffed and robbed of their firearms and cellphones during the break-in on Sunday night.

The suspects cut power cables at the inlet works.

"The treatment of sewage in the catchment cannot be done due to the vandalism. This may result in pollution to the immediate environment which can cause a health hazard," the city said.

It urged the community to assist in protecting the treatment plant and to help police with information to arrest the culprits.

The city has for some time been battling criminals damaging the Temba plant, which supplies water to Hammanskraal and surrounding areas.

An attack in February on the inlet works, damaging panels and removing cables, led to an estimated loss of R400,000.

On October 7 the plant had to be shut down after the city’s technicians discovered there was sewer contamination in the Leeuwkraal Dam, from which Temba sources its raw water for treatment to potable standards.

This was caused by a fire that gutted the Pyramid substation on October 2, leaving the Rooiwal waste water treatment works without electricity. The plant had to temporarily cease operations and consequently discharge untreated sewage into the Apies River, which feeds the Leeuwkraal Dam.

While the city provides roaming water tankers to residents for free during outages, some previously alleged they are being charged and others claimed tankers are channelled to "connected" people.

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