The City of Cape Town says it remains committed to prioritising the safety of its workers as well as service delivery.
Private security guards who are hired to accompany City staff to high-risk areas, continue to come under attack.
A security guard was shot and killed in Athlone on Friday the 17th of May.
City bosses say they’ve spent more than R8.5 million on private security to help protect its teams while attending to service delivery and maintenance requests.
According to the City’s stats – 22 hijackings were recorded in areas including Khayelitsha, Philippi, and Mfuleni since July 2023.
And out of 52 robbery incidents, 16 were at gunpoint.
In the latest incident, a private security guard escorting municipal technicians – was shot and killed in Athlone last Friday.
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk says the deceased’s colleague escaped unharmed.
“According to reports the deceased and his colleague were escorting personnel of the City of Cape Town electrical department. At a premises (shop) in Canal Road, Belgravia they were approached by armed unidentified males who randomly shot at them fatally injuring the 26-year-old. His colleague ran for cover and on his return found his partner with gunshot wounds to his body. He was declared deceased by medical personnel. His service firearm was taken”.
Last month, two security guards were killed in Philippi’s Phola Park.
They were also escorting City staff.
Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Dr Zahid Badroodien says the safety of their staff is paramount.
“Threats to staff safety endanger employees and disrupt service delivery to our residents, potentially affecting community health and well-being, as well as causing emotional trauma to staff. Staff are unable to access certain areas due to safety concerns, leading to delays in maintenance and repairs, and compromising the quality of the service”.
Picture: City of Cape Town
