Workers in the Msunduzi Municipality are under investigation for allegedly sabotaging municipal infrastructure, with concerns about possible political motivations behind the actions.
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The Msunduzi Municipality has launched a criminal investigation into alleged sabotage of its water infrastructure, claiming the acts may be politically motivated and linked to municipal workers who recently defected to the Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP).
According to a report in The Mercury, city leaders addressed the media on Tuesday, confirming that a case has been opened with the South African Police Service. The probe follows a water outage in the Pietermaritzburg central business district that disrupted supply to the High Court and the Deeds Office for several days.
Deputy Mayor Mxolisi Mkhize alleged that certain employees had openly declared their allegiance to the MKP and expressed intentions to unseat the ANC-led administration. He said the remarks were made while teams were working overnight to restore water to affected buildings.
According to Mkhize, the outage was not caused by ageing infrastructure but by deliberate interference. He claimed valves supplying the High Court were shut off even after municipal teams had reopened them, and that additional valves inside the building had also been turned off.
“These valves are handled by municipal personnel, which suggests coordination,” Mkhize said.
Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla said the city believes the incidents were calculated to destabilise governance and erode public confidence. He described the interference as criminal damage to public property and warned that any employee found responsible would face dismissal and prosecution.
The municipality further alleged that similar incidents affected its electricity infrastructure ahead of last year’s national elections. In response, the city has installed surveillance measures — including sensors, cameras and alarm systems — to detect tampering before significant damage occurs.
Municipal Manager Felakhe Mndebele linked the tensions to the recent installation of tracking and monitoring devices in council vehicles. The measures, which include vehicle trackers and onboard cameras, were introduced to curb misuse of municipal assets.
Mndebele said the administration would not reverse the decision despite resistance from labour. He added that biometric attendance systems are also under consideration to ensure employees are compensated only for hours worked.
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) has rejected the allegations. Local secretary Xolani Ntshangase said the union had not been presented with evidence linking workers to sabotage.
“We caution against broad and unverified claims that may unfairly implicate employees,” Ntshangase said. He emphasised that the union does not condone criminal conduct and supports lawful investigations where credible evidence exists.
The investigation remains ongoing as the municipality tightens security around critical infrastructure amid heightened political tensions.
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