By Amanda Maliba.
Photo Credit: Leon Sadiki.
Music producer Chicco Twala was arrested on Monday for allegedly assaulting and pointing a firearm at a City Power technician on Sunday night.
The incident took place outside his Bloubosrand home studios in the north of Johannesburg when the technicians were responding to a power outage complaint. Power in the area had been out since Wednesday.
Police spokesperson Brig Brenda Muridili confirmed that a 59 year-old man was arrested for assault and pointing of a firearm in Randburg.
“It is alleged the suspect and a complainant had [an] altercation where the suspect then pointed the complainant with a firearm,” she said. “Two toy guns were confiscated from the suspect.”
According to City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena, they are yet to restore power in the area as technicians are fearing for their lives.
Mangena said the utility’s test branch located the fault and were working towards repairs and restoration when Twala approached them and told them to leave because he had electricity. Mangena said the musician’s power comes from a different substation from that of other people in his street.
“The teams told him they have every right to be there and work on the network on the pavement where municipal servitude runs. The resident is said to have pulled out a gun, cocked it, and put it to the head of one of the contractors. He then slapped him and choked him, pinning him to the ground.
“The community intervened and rescued our team, and we decided to leave without doing the repairs. Our team with the assistance of the ward councillor opened a case against the resident and we are hoping the police will act appropriately against him. We will only go back to finish our work after the police have acted against the resident and guarantee the safety of our teams,” said Mangena.
Sowetan was at the Douglasdale police station on Monday and police went to fetch Twala from his house. The singer was later seen sitting in his car outside the police station.
A neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous, said one of the technicians was so shaken that he ran away and his colleagues had to drive around looking for him to take him home “only to find that he had already gone home.”
Four houses have been affected since Wednesday and for the power to be restored they would have to turn off the power from grid and that is when the incident occurred. A resident interfered with City Power. It is not a pleasant issue that we are dealing with.
“Our power would have been out until 7.30pm maximum. The technicians had their test units there and were ready to work but the neighbour disrupted their operations by pulling out a gun, “she said.
Another affected neighbour said. “I was away when it happened but from what I heard it was brutal. As you can see, the box was left open unattended. Those that have power, well that one gentleman, hindered the work to be carried out.”
“We still don’t have power and because I live with little girls, I depend on our security gate and electric fence for protection. We sleep with our gate unlocked and that is a hazard,” she said.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.