CoCT condemns attack on Nyanga library & Mzamomhle Clinic

The City of Cape Town has condemned the attacks on community facilities.

This comes after five gunmen held up and robbed staff at the Nyanga Library on Friday. The City’s Mayco Member for Community Services and Health, Patricia Van der Ross, says staff were robbed of their personal belongings, including cell phones and cash. She added that the gunmen also fled with desktop computers and a television set.

Earlier this month, two men posed as patients to gain entry onto the grounds of the Mzamomhle Clinic in Brown’s Farm, Philippi. Van der Ross said that they held two security guards at gunpoint and robbed them of their belongings. She added that other security staff who witnessed the incident raised the alarm for the doors to be closed, but one of the suspects managed to get into the facility and attempted to rob one of the clients. Law Enforcement and SAPS were called and arrived promptly, but the suspects managed to get away. Fortunately no one was injured.

Mzamomhle Clinic & Nyanga Library meanwhile remains closed until further notice, with patients referred to other facilities in the area.

Van Der Ross said that staff are receiving support through the City’s Employee Assistance Programme.

The mayco member says attacks cannot be tolerated.

‘’Our clinics, libraries and recreational facilities have long been the target of vandals and thieves, but this apparent new trend of armed robbery is something else completely, and definitely cause for concern. The brazen nature of these attacks is absolutely shocking. It makes it incredibly difficult to deliver quality services in our communities who rely most on the City’s basket of services, but also our staff who are left traumatised and scared to return to work.’’

‘’These incidents, like so many others before it, do not only result in the closure of facilities, as we’ve seen at the clinic, but operations at the library will be severely affected, as staff will have to manually check out books; jobseekers and students now have no computer access to complete applications or assignments, and the replacement of these stolen items will not happen overnight,’’ added Mayco Member for Community Services and Health, Patricia Van der Ross.

Van Der Ross called on residents to come forward should they have any information regarding the matter.

‘’Our facilities all have security hardening features, as well as physical security on site. The more sustained the attacks on our facilities, the harder it becomes to offer quality and reliable services, and it’s the community who bears the brunt. Someone, somewhere knows who the perpetrators are of these specific attacks, but also other incidents of vandalism and theft at community facilities. I call on the public to stand up and help protect their community assets, by helping us bring them to book.’’

 

Done by: Mitchum George