The eThekwini Municipality has retracted its earlier statement on the bombing of the water reservoir in Mobeni, south of Durban. It now says investigators suspect that structural defects could have caused the collapse of the reservoir.
However, the municipality says sabotage cannot be completely ruled out. It says since the start of the municipal workers’ unprotected strike, several vehicles have been damaged at the depot where the reservoir is situated.
Some parts of the Higginson Highway were closed due to overflowing water from the reservoir. Metro police spokesperson Parboo Sewparsad has urged anyone with information to come forward.
“The Durban Metro Police Services is taking the matter very seriously. Charges of sedition will be laid which is going against the state infrastructure. We are really appealing to communities, to neighbourhood watches and community watch dogs to please report such incidents or any factual evidence that will come to the fore of the Durban Metro police services.”
The KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, says investigations are under way into the cause of the collapse of a water reservoir.
The incident caused extensive damage to property belonging to a private company close-by. It also resulted in road closures along the Higginson Highway on the N2.
The department is yet to determine the costs of the damage. Dube-Ncube says they cannot rule out the possibility of sabotage.
“The investigators are on site. All the different units of the law enforcement agencies have been doing investigation, as well the structural engineers … And we will then be able to know exactly what could have caused the reservoir to collapse.”
