Petrol bomb attack guts substation in Pietermaritzburg
The Witness reports that the transformer, situated within the premises of Rapid Truck Bodies, had been relocated at significant cost by the municipality to protect critical infrastructure from ongoing vandalism and theft.
Despite these efforts and its positioning on private property, the facility was torched in what the municipality described as a deliberate act of sabotage.
In a statement issued yesterday, the municipality confirmed that the suspects fled when private security and SAPS members arrived on the scene. However, thanks to the swift intervention of Magma Security, a second substation located just outside the premises was secured in time and saved from damage.
'Their rapid response undoubtedly protected essential power supply to the area and averted a broader outage,' the statement read.
The municipality said SAPS and Magma Security responded immediately, with a police vehicle and private security team remaining stationed at the site as a precaution.
'This attack is deeply alarming. The infrastructure was moved to this site precisely to shield it from interference. That individuals from the surrounding community would target it, even within secured, privately-owned premises, is a serious concern,' the municipality said.
Calling for community co-operation to help identify the perpetrators, the municipality stressed that the protection of public infrastructure requires a collective response.
'Protecting public infrastructure is not only a municipal responsibility; it requires unified action from law enforcement, private security, businesses and the public. Msunduzi is resolute… We will not allow criminality to derail service delivery.'
An investigation is underway.
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