The City of Cape Town has put up a R100,000 reward after two security guards contracted to escort staff to repair a sewage pipe in Philippi were shot and killed on Tuesday.
The incident took place in Phola Park.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the R100,000 is for information that leads to the successful capture and prosecution of those responsible for these murders.
The armed security guards were driving their company vehicle at the time while the City vehicle transported five staff members.
On arrival at the site, the teams gathered tools and inspected the pipe. While they were busy, two armed men approached the City vehicle and another two headed to the toilet block where multiple shots were fired.
As staff and residents fled to safety, the private security guards had been shot and died on the scene. A City employee also got injured after a hard fall.
Hill-Lewis said various City services are being severely impacted by criminal attacks in parts of Philippi, including Kosovo informal settlement where a stormwater upgrading project is in progress.
Tactical response and security escort services are being provided to both staff and contractors in Philippi due to the ongoing safety threats.
“Our message to Philippi residents is this: we will not stop delivering services in your community, but our frontline staff are under attack and need your help. Use our 24-hour tip-offs hotline to report the criminals disrupting water and sanitation services and upgrades in the community.
“You can remain anonymous and the City is offering a reward of up to R100,000 for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of the murderers behind the attacks on our staff and contractors. Together we can root out the criminals blocking progress in communities.
“The City extends our heartfelt condolences to the families of two security contractor staff, who so tragically lost their lives in the shooting in Phola Park, Phillippi on Tuesday,” Hill-Lewis said
Mayoral committee member for water and sanitation, councillor Zahid Badroodien expressed his shock at the senseless act.
“We as a City are shocked at the senseless act which has claimed the lives of two men hard at work serving the community. Arrangements have been made for staff to receive medical attention and trauma counselling. These horrendous experiences deeply impact everyone, especially those working at the forefront of service delivery.
“In hotspot areas particularly, the City works closely with community leaders to ensure that service delivery can continue despite many challenges. No unrest was reported prior to the team being deployed in this instance.
“The alarming number of attacks on staff while on duty, working to maintain a dignified service standard in informal settlements, led to the City spending over R8.5 million for private security escorts in the 2023/24 financial year alone,” Badroodien said.
He further added the ruthless targeting has now claimed the lives of two more innocent people.
Badroodien said the latest attacks in Philippi follow recent incidents targeting staff elsewhere in the city. On Wednesday, April 17, City staff were also robbed in two separate incidents on the same day. In the one incident, a team was busy responding to a blocked sewer pipe in Clarke Estate in Elsies River when one of the staff was robbed of his cellphone.
In the second incident, a team of five was held at gunpoint and robbed of their personal belongings, including cellphones while they were in Blue Downs attending to a burst water pipe.
Anonymous tip-offs are encouraged:
Phone 24/7 line: 0800 00 6992