Technicians held hostage as Vezinyawo residents demand electricity

Vezinyawo residents in Alexandra claimed they have endured relentless electricity blackouts. The frustrated community members, who were up in arms on April 28, allegedly seized the keys of three City Power contractor vehicles, refusing to return them unless their demands for electricity were met.

The utility had deployed technicians to install prepaid meters in the area. This was after the residents marched to City Power’s Alexandra depot the night before, on April 27, burning tyres and demanding the utility to restore their electricity. But, the utility said it could only restore their power after the installing of meters.

Read more: City Power timelines for addressing power issues

“We do not have a problem with paying for electricity, but they must address the community about the issue of meters. We will allow them to install meters once they have spoken to the community,” Gugulethu Xulu, a resident of Vezinyawo, said.

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena confirmed that some individuals had seized the keys of City Power contractor vehicles. “During the operation, several individuals approached and seized the keys to three City Power contractor vehicles, demanding that power be restored before the keys would be returned,” he said. “One suspect fled the scene with the keys, deliberately sabotaging our ability to continue working and severely compromising the safety of our employees.”

Also read: City Power warns customers of call centre downtime

The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), SAPS, and TSS Security Services were subsequently notified and reported to the scene with tow trucks to take the vehicles to the City Power Service Delivery Centre. City Power technicians opened cases of hijacking and the police are currently investigating the matter.

City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava condemned the incident, noting that they were committed to enforcing the law and ensuring the safety of their employees. “Criminality and intimidation of our staff will not be tolerated,” he said. “We are committed to enforcing the rule of law and protecting our employees who work daily under difficult and often dangerous conditions to bring services to communities.”

Mangena noted that the utility would not compromise on the installation and registration of prepaid meters in any area. He added that, either City Power would be allowed to install meters in Vezinyawo, or they would suspend services.

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