AN awareness campaign was launched by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) last week, in an attempt to eradicate attacks on municipal and emergency medical service (EMS) workers.
The initiative was launched following the recent spate of violent attacks on EMS and municipal workers in townships in the metro, which resulted in robberies and assaults while on duty.
The awareness campaign kicked off with a convoy through townships in an effort to send a clear message not to harm workers.
MMC for Infrastructure, Engineering, Electricity and Energy, Andile Lungisa, has since appealed for protection from community members.
“We cannot allow a situation where municipal and EMS workers cannot enter the townships.
“The lives of breadwinners are at risk. We are sympathising with workers who have been injured in the past. We have launched this campaign to put an end to this.
“If the workers cannot enter the townships to fix water leaks, it will be the community who will suffer.
“If ambulances cannot attend to a patient, it is the sick residents who will suffer. We want the community to stand up and protect the workers,” Lungisa said.
Workers have been described as ‘sitting ducks’ after recent reports of assaults and robberies in Port Elizabeth townships. Alfred Barends, an EMS staff member, said that he is at his wit’s end and had been robbed at gunpoint in various townships.
Barends said, “I’m grateful that our concerns have finally been heard, as we cannot continue to work like this.
“We provide a service to the community and our job is very important because we help the sick and the injured. Our members are being attacked day and night.
“Criminals take valuables like cellphones, money, watches and bags. I hope this campaign will make others realise how important our role is in the community.”
The campaign will include more visibility from the SAPS, the metro police, traffic officers and volunteers from each ward. According to Lungisa, water leaks, sewage and electrification issues were suffered in recent weeks due to municipal workers not being able to attend to the call-outs.
Lungisa added, “We have received reports where a number of workers were robbed at gunpoint and injured in Ward 27. In the past, representatives of private companies such as Coca-Cola and SA Breweries were robbed when entering the townships.
“The awareness campaign will be a permanent roll-out and we are depending on all residents to assist.”
