The City of Tshwane has condemned continued attacks on employees dispatched to deliver services to residents.
City spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said, as a result of the attacks, the City had not sent out any employees. This led to delays in the resolution of complaints.
According to Mashigo, angry residents used bricks and stones to attack a team of plumbers trying to attend to a blocked manhole in Saulsville on June 14. The plumbers had to hide in their municipal van before they managed to speed off.
"In another incident around the same vicinity, workers from the City's parks division were threatened and stopped from cutting the grass at the Mbolekwa sports facility, by a group of people calling themselves 'Business Forum'," Mashigo said.
Mashigo explained that a contractor had been sent to cut grass at the facility. City officials intervened, and the group allowed the contractor to continue working in a specific area.
"After an intervention by the City's officials, the group agreed to allow the contractor to only service the area around the softball field to accommodate a tournament which was taking place the same weekend," he said.
Mashigo said the attacks had underlined the growing dangers that employees were exposed to as they endeavoured to deliver much-needed services to communities.
"One of the core mandates and functions of local government is to ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner, but these spates of attacks, which makes it difficult for us to deliver services unhindered, must be stopped," he said.