Cape Town: Security and Protection Unit of Water and Sanitation Department of City of Cape Town proved to be pillar of strength for operations.
Recently, the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Water and Sanitation – Councillor Zahid Badroodien visited the designated directorate for Security and Protection of the department to extend his gratitude for their invaluable role in ensuring staff safety.
Primarily the Security and Protection Unit focuses on escorting and protecting operational staff as they carry out essential services such as pipe repairs and installations. The unit also patrol depots and pump stations and assist with serving notices where necessary, for by-law violations.
As per the sources, the unit comprise of 33 Law Enforcement Officers and an administrative support team. The unit is all set to double its capacity with an additional 37 staff members planned for recruitment in the upcoming 2025-26 financial year.
Furthermore, the officers escorted 1080 jobs between January and June 2024. They also conducted 419 depot patrols and 730 pump station patrols. The patrol checks also included some high-risk areas where security escorts were required for services involving Manenberg, Philippi, Samora Machel, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Nyanga and Hanover Park.
Considering the patrol, Councillor Zahid Badroodien said that sadly, much of the essential maintenance to water and sanitation infrastructure cannot proceed in volatile communities without the support of the Security and Protection Unit.
Badroodien explained that they play a vital role in the success of operational teams during repairs. They put their every possible effort in mitigating risks to personal safety, while work is being carried out on site in enabling service delivery to continue across all areas in the city.
He expressed, “Our heartfelt request to residents is to extend this safety net to Water and Sanitation staff, by supporting them when they work in their areas.”
The Security and Protection Unit has several notable achievements recorded to its name, since its inception, such as:
- It ensured public safety at water tankers and safeguarded operational staff working overnight to install new water pipes during two major shutdowns at 75 hr operation in Sept 2022 and 72 hr operation in June 2024.
- It significantly reduced vandalism at the Water and Sewer Pump Stations of the City of Cape Town through increased visibility and regular patrols.
- It received several Water and Sanitation awards including ‘Best Collaboration’ in 2023 and ‘Service Excellence and Innovation’ in 2024.
- It honoured staff for their bravery in Sept 2024 by the Executive Mayor for assisting two women involved in a motor vehicle accident.