Johannesburg, 08 May 2006
Six of Telkom`s street distribution cabinets (SDCs) are still at various degrees of repair, following incidents of vandalism that resulted in 65 SDCs being damaged across the country, about two weeks ago.
Two of these are in the Gauteng central region; one in the Pretoria-Centurion area and three in the Eastern Cape (Port Elizabeth/East London/Transkei area), says Telkom`s senior media liaison, Ajith Bridgraj.
"Service interruptions due to the acts of vandalism are currently extremely minimal," he notes, adding that it is unknown at this stage when repairs will be concluded.
Telkom is in the midst of a national criminal investigation into the incidents that led to the damage, Bridgraj confirmed.
The damage to the SDCs - points of connection usually located on street corners to enable services to customers - may be linked to the recent wage strike by members of the Communications Workers Union (CWU).
Details regarding the cost of the repairs will be released when the process is finished, Bridgraj explains.
Telkom has refused to be drawn on further details surrounding the investigation, saying it is trying to downplay the investigation at this stage, so as not to jeopardise the case.
At the time, Telkom`s chief technical officer, Thami Msimango, stated: "The nature of the damage indicates this was the work of vandals on an orchestrated basis.
"At this stage it is unclear who was behind these acts of vandalism, but an investigation is under way," Msimango added.
While it is known that the investigation is being led by the South African Police Service (SAPS) on a national level, Telkom has not revealed which SAPS unit is involved. However, indications are the matter is being treated as a high-profile case.
Meanwhile, the CWU has denied any of its members were involved in vandalism against Telkom, challenging the company to produce evidence to back-up any allegations.
Related story:
Telkom probes strike, vandalism link
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