Gauteng-based water utility Rand Water intends on laying criminal charges against members of the public for using abusive language to its employees during water shortages.
This follows a series of email correspondences received by Rand Water’s customer service centre, in which members of the public used profanities to express their frustrations.
Rand Water says it views the tone and abusive language used in the emails as unacceptable, undesirable and malicious to its brand.
The sender of one particular email implied that water shortages in their area were as a result of the incompetence of Rand Water employees, to which the water utility says it always communicates the challenges it encounters to communities through traditional media and social media, and that water supply is dependent on interlinkages with other service providers in the water value chain.
Although Rand Water appreciates when members of the public report water interruptions in their respective areas, it says it will not tolerate abusive language and insults meted against its employees.