As part of the City of Ekurhuleni’s project to transform informal settlements, the metro has spent over R20-million to electrify Road Reserve informal settlement in Ramaphosa, Reiger Park.
It’s, however, unclear as to when the other Boksburg informal settlements will get power and other basic services.
The Road Reserve multi-million rand project started in the last few months and included the installation of prepaid meters and high-mast lights.
Over 400 shacks are now enjoying the use of an uninterrupted power supply in their households. MMC for Energy Clr Tiisetso Nketle pleaded with the residents of the area to refrain from vandalising electricity infrastructure, to use electricity sparingly and to avoid theft and illegal connections.
Also Read: Residents cry foul at metro’s removal of tampered meter boxes
This development in Road Reserve is a welcome relief for 51-year-old Masasa Ngobeni who stays with her family and her sickly 87-year-old mother who depends on the oxygen concentrator for survival.
The family has been staying in the area without electricity since 2011.
“Things got worse when my mother, who relies on an oxygen concentrator to breathe, moved from Limpopo to stay with us here. It’s been tiresome for me to make means to make sure that her device is well-charged. So, we are grateful for this development,” said Ngobeni.
Nketle maintained that the City is on course to fulfil its commitment of providing dignified dwellings to all its residents.
“All informal settlements are set to be redesigned in a way that allows for the ease of accessibility for the delivery of essential services.
“Work to electrify all 119 informal settlements in the city is ongoing and we are confident that it will help us to win the war against illegal connections,” said Nketle.
It’s, however, unclear as to which areas are targeted or how many informal settlements will be undergoing similar development and formalisation in the current financial year.
Waiting
Scores of informal settlements in Boksburg and across the City have been eagerly awaiting better lives since the dawn of the new democratic South Africa.
These informal settlements include Angelo, Jerusalem, Delmore, Kanana and Ulana, where thousands of people have been living in squalor and without power for decades – despite the many promises made by politicians during election periods.
From the demands made during the many service delivery protests, the most eagerly awaited basic services include the provision of electricity, enough running water and permanent stands or RDP houses.
Some of the fed-up informal settlement dwellers in Boksburg have taken matters into their own hands by illegally connecting electricity from the nearby power utility infrastructure. This practice has, however, led several confrontations between residents of the legally connected areas and electricity thieves.
Those in legally connected areas complained that tampering with the infrastructure is causing perpetual power outages in their areas, and demanded that the metro takes swift actions against the perpetrators.
Also Read: Illegal electricity connection costs City R1.2-billion a year
