Telkom offers R500 000 reward after acts of 'sabotage'

The telecommunication provider is offering a R500 000 reward for any information about incidents in which property at its facilities across the country were damaged. 

Facilities in Midrand, Pretoria West, Silverton, Durban, Pinetown, Pietermaritzburg, Makhado and Messina, were destroyed. 

"This is not vandalism, the criminals who damaged our property knew what they were doing. Cables have been cut to cause maximum damage. Entire street distribution cabinets, which are located in neighbourhoods to serve multiple streets at a time, have been ripped apart and in a few instances yesterday, set on fire," said Jacqui O'Sullivan, Telkom Group Executive for Communication. 

At some sites, specialist equipment was required to access the fibre cables and the criminals were clearly using equipment that is not commonly available, she said. 

Police along with additional investigators and Telkom's own forensics team are investigating.

"We apologise to our customers who have been inconvenienced by this senseless sabotage. We are working to repair the damage as quickly as possible," O'Sullivan said. 

On Monday, members of the Communication Worker's Union (CWU) prevented access to Telkom offices and facilities. 

Telkom says some of its employees were barred from entering the Telkom Campus in Centurion and were intimidated and threatened. 

The parastatal managed to secure an urgent interim order to interdict the union from illegal activities such as blockading entrances to facilities and offices and intimidating staff. 

The union is demanding an 11% increase for all bargaining unit employees.