ARSON ATTACKS: OVER E3M LOSS AT INYATSI, NAMBOARD

NHLANGANO – Yesterday, Inyatsi Construction Group Holdings had two of its heavy plant machinery burnt in an arson attack by unknown people.

These are a bulldozer and an excavator. While the company could not confirm the value of each of the two heavy plant machinery that were burnt, according to marketbook.co.za, a Volvo EC480 excavator/crawler, 2015 model costs about E3.5 million.This is similar to the model of the excavator that belonged to Inyatsi. The same website states that a bulldozer D85EX, also a 2015 model, costs about E2.6 million if its brand new.

The bulldozer and an excavator were reportedly parked at Sicunusa area along the Nhlangano – Sicunusa Road when they were set alight by unknown arsonists during the wee hours of yesterday. The company had just started re-constructing that road and it was aiming to get it done within the next 18 months. The heavy plant machinery were parked a few kilometers away from the company’s site which was set at Gege just past the inkhundla centre.

Targeting

It is worth noting that this was a third arson attack targeting the construction company. In February 2021, vehicles including a tipper truck, were reduced to ashes and an excavator was partly burnt. The second arson attack happened on February 3, 2022 whereby a tractor loader backhoe (TLB), a grader, tractor and trailer were burnt. This incident took place at Hhelehhele area, where the company was busy with constructing a road. This heavy plant machinery belonged to one sub-constructor and the value of the damaged assets was E2.1 million.  

No arrests have been made so far in all three arson attacks. In the recent incident, by the time this reporter arrived at the scene at around 8:30am, a group of police officers were found inspecting the scene. The police officers included Shiselweni Regional Commissioner (RC) Tibonisile Mdziniso, Detective Senior Superintendent Clement Sihlongonyane, other senior police officers, some of whom were from the Operational Support Services Unit (OSSU) and Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

Flammable

The two heavy plant machinery were still there and they were severely burnt more, especially on the flammable parts. There were also some of the company’s employees who were present, who included the operators of the affected machinery. The operators lamented the incident, fearing for the worst when it came to their job security, as they were employed to operate those machinery. They said what happened was painful because they even left their belongings inside these machinery with the hope that they would return to find them safe, since the vehicles were locked every evening after work.

One of the residents, whose homestead is nearby the scene of the incident, said during the night, they heard a huge explosion and what also seemed to be gunshots, but in fear, they did not come out to inspect what was happening. The resident said it was only in the morning when they learnt that the explosion was due to the attack on the heavy plant machinery. Messages
Efforts to reach the Inyatsi Construction Managing Director (MD) Derrick Shiba proved futile as he did not answer his phone for the better part of the day when called yesterday.
He did not even respond to text messages sent to him. The last call was made at 6pm, but he instead sent a text message that he would call back but he had not returned the call by the time of compiling this report.

Isaac Dlamini, Bucopho from Sidwala Umphakatsi where the incident happened, said they were shocked by the arson attack. He said as a community, they were now hoping that the road would be completed since it has been long overdue, but such attacks were a setback to the project.

Wondered

Dlamini wondered if the site, where the heavy plant machinery were parked, were being guarded by security personnel and if yes what happened to them when the incident occured.
He added that today, he would be meeting with the constituency Indvuna, Mphumzeni Nzima, to discuss the matter further.

Security

He said if there was no security personnel, he would suggest that the company should hire local people to safeguard the sites to avoid such attacks in the future. Meanwhile, Bucopho from Mashobeni Umphakatsi, which forms part of Gege Inkhundla, also wondered who could do such to something that was bringing development in the area. He said as constituents, they were shattered by the incident. Meanwhile, the National Commissioner (NATCOM) of Police, William Dlamini, has condemned the arson attacks taking place in the country, promising that the perpetrators of these acts will be brought to book.

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