Residents of Albertina Sisulu Road in Bez Valley are spending money from their pockets to secure a substation in order to have electricity.
Resident Tony Jardim said the lack of service delivery when reporting power failures is shocking and the municipality should serve the people better.
Also read: CoJ lights up with new substation
According to Jardim the substation that service over 50 houses have been a problem for the past five years.
“We constantly experience power outages and its just specifics houses. Criminals keep breaking into the substation to steal the cables.
“The substation is never properly secured by City Power after working on it and as residents, we took it upon ourselves to secure the substation for us to have electricity,” said Jardim
Residents had to put barbwire around the station and also put locks on.
The substation is in a terrible condition.
Some of the doors are missing, switches stolen and wires hanging outside.
“The substation is not safe. The way the contractors do the work is sometimes not professional. We are not even sure if they are qualified for the job,” said Jardim.
He said the situation is affecting a number of the residents because many are elderly and sick people living in the area who need the electricity.
“We cannot be complaining about the same problem and nothing is being done.
Why can’t they upgrade the substation? We have to spend from our own pocket to enjoy the services when we are paying for them,” said Jardim.
It is alleged that contractors don’t do the job properly in order for them to come back to the same station to make money.
“Sometimes contractors would come to check the station and say they don’t have parts. They need to go collect them and only come back the following day. In the meantime, we will be sitting in the dark,” said Jardim.
He said he always calls the call centre when there are electricity problems to get a reference number but that never makes the difference because fives years later the same problem is still there.
“We just want the substation to be properly secured and fixed. We cannot be living like this. Every day we wonder if we going to have electricity problems,” said Jardim.
The EXPRESS sent an inquiry to City Power regarding the issue.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said they were not aware of the issue with the substation and promise to attend to it.
“City Power would like to thank the residents of Bez Valley for alerting us to the problems pertaining to the substation in Albertina Sisulu.
“The substation has been vandalised. City Power has currently ordered material to start with repairs and replacement of damaged equipment,” said Mangena.
He further urged residents to report cable theft.
“Cable theft is a problem. We appeal to the community to report cable theft and vandalism of equipment to City Power’s Risk Control Unit,” pleaded Mangena.
The City of Johannesburg just opened a new substation in the North East region.
The R1.2-billion state-of-the-art substation will benefit residents living in Modderfontein, Gresswold, Sandringham, Alexandra, Athol Oaklands, Rosebank, Melrose and Parkhurst.
The EXPRESS asked if the Region F will be covered by the Sebenza sub-station.
“The substation will cover most parts of Johannesburg including supply to substations covering Region F. This sub-station will address the long-term challenges of supply stability.
“But like most of the City, we are having a short-term challenge of a maintenance backlog.
“Most of the low voltage infrastructure in most old suburbs has aged and needs to be replaced.
“We have been doing this as we go on, but the City has also committed a budget to ensure maintenance is done on our infrastructure,” explained Mangena.
The number to report cable theft is 011 490 7911, 011 490 7553 or 011 490 7900.
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