Johannesburg electricity utility City Power has warned that an outbreak of gang violence in Westbury and surrounding areas is affecting service delivery and is concerned about employee safety.
This comes after the 38-year-old leader of the Keenen Fast Guns gang Sheldon Ebrahim was shot dead in the west of Johannesburg on Thursday.
The situation in Westbury, commonly known as Western, has been described as “volatile” and “no-go zone” during the shutdown implemented after Ebrahim’s murder.
gang violence
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the utility has recorded the incident affecting service delivery in some areas.
“Alleged violence between two rival drug gangs, which has reportedly resulted in the killing of one of its kingpins, has left Westbury, Eldorado Park, Claremont and Riverlea as no-go areas.
“That is why City Power, out of concern for personnel safety, has decided to withdraw its employees and contractors from the affected areas,” Mangena said.
Also Read: Read: Notorious Fast Guns gang leader killed in apparent attack
No distractions
Mangena said there were no outstanding blackouts in the area at the moment.
“However, due to the impact of load shedding, vandalism and cable theft, among others, there is no guarantee that the affected areas will not experience power outages during this unstable period.
“We are now engaging council members to put contingency measures in place to avoid leaving customers stranded for a long time,” he said.
Law and order
Meanwhile, City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava called on law enforcement agencies to quickly restore security in the area.
“We urge the South African Police Service to bring the situation under control in that part of the city. Not only to enable smooth service delivery, but to protect innocent lives that could be lost if this escalating level of violence continues.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and if the situation remains the same, we will consider bringing in JMPD to escort technicians to the site to carry out critical repair work,” he said.
Also read: ‘Strengthening the fight against zama zamas to protect electricity infrastructure’ – City Power