Woman, Telkom in box safety war
Widow told to pay for removal
AMORNINGSIDE widow will have to fork out R154 106.98 for Telkom to move a street distribution cabinet (SDC) box installed by the telecommunications company on the verge of her wall, and place it further away to prevent intruders from climbing into her property.
Susan Reeve, a former journalist and a resident of more than 40 years, has been trying since 2012 to reason with Telkom to move the box and place it further away from her property, citing safety issues, all without success.
Instead, the frustrated woman was told to foot the bill for the relocation of the Telkom plant.
The Daily News is in possession of the e-mails exchanged between Reeve and Telkom including a letter that informed her about the bill for the relocation work.
In the letter, Reeve was informed that involved in the process of moving the box was the way leave application from the municipality to trench and lay pipes and erect the SDC.
She was further informed that necessary measures at her cost would be taken to ensure that the plant was not damaged in the relocation.
The 68-year-old said she returned home after spending time in England to find the box installed right on the verge of her fence wall.
“I began raising the safety concerns with Telkom in 2012 because crime had become an issue in the area,” she said.
She finally received a letter from Telkom informing her about the amount she was required to pay to get the box moved.
Reeve was also furnished with a breakdown of costs of how much she would pay for labour, transport for contractors and material, and arrived at the figure of R154 106.98.
“I was shocked. I was never consulted before the installation, which I understand because the box is not on my property, but I have a problem with the fact that it is too close to my fence.”
Reeve said her concern was that the levels of crime had escalated.
“When I bought the house 40 years ago, crime was not as bad as it is now.
“Back then, I did not even have a fence around my house,” she said.
She felt the box was like a ladder for intruders, to climb on to to gain access to her property.
“Telkom is a huge company and I am disappointed at how the company is not bothered to help me and rectify the mistake.
“The people who installed it should have foreseen that it was going to be a safety threat on my home,” she said.
In one of her communications with Telkom, she requested that it at least pay for the 3.8m electric fencing on her front wall, which was going to cost R10 375, as a cheaper option to removing the box, but without success.
Anna Hardman, who had lived in a block of flats opposite Reeve’s home, said people living in a flat had seen strangers standing on top of the box looking into Reeve’s property on several occasions.
Crime, especially break-ins, had escalated in the area, she said.
“I would also demand that the box to be moved if it was outside my property. Whoever installed it should have foreseen that it would be a safety threat to place it so close to a residential property.”
Another concerned resident Trevor Wardle, felt it was unfair that Reeve was expected to pay for the removal. He confirmed that housebreakings and hijackings were on the rise.
“She has genuine safety concerns. I have lived here for two years and I can tell you that crime is an issue that needs urgent intervention and the removal of the box outside her property is one of them,” he said.
Telkom did not respond specifically to Reeve’s safety concerns.
Questions about whether Telkom was considering Reeve’s alternative request to it to pay for the installation of the electric fence – and if not, why not – were also not addressed in its response.