Umdoni Municipality Mayor Mbali Cele-Luthuli has strongly condemned the theft of a municipal grader machine, hindering the municipality’s efforts to enhance service delivery in rural areas. A municipal employee was allegedly assaulted during the theft.
The employee escaped with minor injuries and is recovering.
The municipality has opened a theft case at Umkomaas SAPS, expressing hope that the service delivery-oriented resource will be recovered and that the perpetrators will be apprehended and face the full might of the law.
Mayor Cele-Luthuli has strongly condemned these actions, stating that such criminal activity endangered an employee’s life and simultaneously hindered the municipality’s efforts to advance service delivery in rural communities.
“We are grateful that our employee’s life was spared in this traumatic ordeal and wish him a speedy recovery. We are, however, very disappointed that there are individuals who plot to rob the municipality to enrich themselves and disregard the benefits these grader services are bringing towards the development of the communities we serve,” Cele-Luthuli said.
The municipality has appealed to the Umdoni community for assistance in recovering the grader and bringing those responsible to justice.
The municipality urges anyone with information regarding this case to contact the investigating officer at Umkomaas SAPS on 082 334 9766 or 039 973 3103, or to come forward to the municipality directly. Any information that could assist the case would be valuable.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza confirmed a case was opened at Umkomaas SAPS.
He said it is alleged that a Umdoni Municipality employee reported that he was driving a grader on a road in the eMahlongwe area when four males approached him and asked him to grade the driveway of their home.
“He agreed, and they pointed a firearm at him. He ran away, but they chased him, put him in the boot of the car and drove away. They dropped him at Mfume,” Magwaza said.
thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za
