A year after City Power promised to electrify River Park’s Mahauzana flats, residents said the project had stalled.

This has triggered growing tensions between desperate residents and the power utility. What began with public celebration and national publicity in July last year has soured into outright rejection of City Power’s proposed interim solution.

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Although the community of Mahauzana had initially agreed to meet City Power halfway, allowing it to install bulk meters, while residents would handle internal connections through a qualified electrician, some have now firmly rejected the utility’s plan.

“ We want proper connections from the box to the house. Then, I will buy the electricity,” said community leader Mapule Mogoba.

The impasse has not only pitted Mahauzana residents against City Power but has also strained relations between some leaders and residents.

According to Mogoba, residents who contributed R1 000 each toward needed materials to be connected to the grid are now demanding answers, leaving community leaders caught in the middle.

“Our community is fighting with us. We took their R1 000, saying we were going to buy material for the electricity connections, but where are we now? I am fighting with my community. I have people’s money,” Mogoba said.

Also read: Mahauzana leaders welcome City Power’s temporary electricity solution

Original agreement and stalled progress

Ward 81 committee member Theo Lengwati said residents asked City Power to provide electricity, even if temporary, for the sake of basic rights and human dignity.
“The residents have gone as far as saying and committing that we will meet you [City Power] halfway,” he said.

“That happened in July last year. Isaac Mangena [City Power spokesperson] himself publicised it nationally, saying we are going to electrify the flats. Everyone here celebrated,” Lengwati recalled.

Those celebrations were short-lived. Although trenching began and a mini-substation was delivered, Lengwati said little progress has been made almost a year later.

The delays have affected the wider River Park area, with residents from different sections joining the complaints. Most residents said that when Mahauzana residents resort to illegal connections, especially in winter, the entire network suffers.

“Sharing electricity from this mini-sub that is supposed to be allocated for 100 houses, now servicing 300 to 400 houses, obviously, it is going to overload,” added Lengwati.

City Power’s position

Mangena said the residents occupying the flats are not the utility’s customers.

“They are not on City Power’s books, and it is purely because we have not legally electrified that area because of some of the complexities involving the owners of those buildings.”
He added that the Department of Human Settlements constructed the buildings, but they were illegally occupied. While doing so, residents also made illegal connections to the network, affecting nearby formalised residents.

Mangena emphasised that immediately electrifying the settlement would amount to condoning illegality, which is not permitted under Nersa regulations.

He confirmed that the interim electrification plan would bring bulk supply outside the flats, as meters cannot be installed inside until the flats are formally proclaimed.

Mangena said even after City Power completes its work, residents will still need to handle internal reticulation, installing service cables, distribution boards and meters.

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