After more than six weeks in the dark, the electricity supply to Welverdiend and nearby areas has finally been restored — but not without controversy, damage, and public fury.

By Tuesday afternoon, 5 August, power had returned to most of Welverdiend, except for a few streets like 26th Avenue. This outage marked the longest power cut experienced by any town in the area.

However, not all residents were relieved. Those living in the Elijah Barayi mega-housing complex were still without electricity by Tuesday, prompting renewed protests that saw some roads blocked again.

Public outrage and political fallout

While residents suffered in the dark for weeks, tensions escalated after the executive mayor, Nozuko Best, publicly thanked ward councillor Thabo Mokuke for “his visible and continued presence on the ground.”

Many residents reacted with disbelief and anger, saying Mokuke had failed to communicate or provide updates throughout the crisis. Instead, they credited councillors like Tollie Lubbe for pushing for updates.

“Funny how the notices appear now. When we were struggling, no one in the office of the mayor had the decency to keep us informed,” said a frustrated resident, Sydney, on social media.

In the last two weeks of the blackout, more political parties and activists took up the cause. Some gained national media attention. Councillor Moiketsi Ntilane, a vocal opposition figure, was even dragged out of the council chambers during a July 31 meeting, allegedly due to his social media campaign to support Welverdiend residents.

Deaths, injuries, and losses

According to community members, at least seven people reportedly died during the outage due to being unable to power essential medical equipment. Others suffered injuries from boiling water or fires used to heat water and cook food outdoors.

In addition to the human toll, local businesses and households faced massive financial losses. Spoiled food, ongoing fuel purchases for generators, and damaged appliances added to the burden.

Some residents have vowed to stop paying their municipal accounts in protest of how the situation was handled.

Ongoing issues and vandalism

By Tuesday, most remaining electricity problems appeared to be caused by infrastructure vandalism that occurred while power was down. The damage delayed full restoration in some areas.

Despite the lights finally coming back on for many, Welverdiend’s residents remain deeply disillusioned, and many are demanding accountability and compensation.