The electricity in the Welverdiend area went off just after 15:00 on May 1 when lightning struck the Frikkie van der Merwe electrical substation, which supplies the whole area with electricity.

According to the Merafong municipal manager, Dumisani Mabuza, Welverdiend, the Elijah Barayi mega housing complex, Khutsong Extension 5, and Khutsong Extension 6 next to Welverdiend were affected.

“A newly refurbished transformer will be connected and commissioned. However, this process may take some time due to the size of the transformer and the specialised equipment required for its transportation and installation,” said Mabuza the same night.

Residents were elated when the electricity to many streets in Welverdiend was restored by the next night. According to the municipality, the electricity came on after their contractor replaced the transformer. The bottom parts of Welverdiend, the Welverdiend Plots and Khutsong Extension 6 were still without electricity due to a cable fault.

Their happiness was short-lived, however, when it went off again due to technical issues on May 5. The municipality said that it would have to be kept off to prevent a prolonged power outage, which the municipality said could “last a minimum of three months”.

Although some individual streets again had power by Tuesday, most residents were stuck in the dark.

Many residents, including an opposition party councillor, Tollie Lubbe, tried to get information and also asked whether Merafong could ask for help from the mines.

“Despite numerous pleas to the authorities, our concerns have fallen on deaf ears. It appears that our municipality is turning a blind eye to our struggles, leaving us to suffer the consequences of inadequate electrical infrastructure. The pattern is clear. Transformer issues lead to outages, followed by trenching and cable theft. This raises serious questions about the maintenance and security of our electrical infrastructure. We demand answers from the electrical department and our municipality. The suspicious circumstances surrounding these incidents have led many in our community to wonder if this might be an inside job. The thieves seem to know exactly where to dig, often targeting specific areas where cables are located. This precision suggests more than just random vandalism,” an anonymous but very frustrated resident complained.

He lamented that there is also a disparity in treatment between Welverdiend and other low-cost housing areas in Ward 12.

“When it comes to payment of rates and taxes, our municipality is swift to send independent contractors to cut off electricity for late payments, but when it comes to maintaining our electrical infrastructure, we’re met with silence and inaction. Why is it that Welverdiend is singled out for harsh treatment when it comes to late payments, while other areas in Ward 12 seem exempt from such measures? This raises questions about the fairness and equity of our municipality’s policies and practices,” the resident lamented.

Residents asked that authorities investigate the root causes of these outages and take corrective action, implement measures to prevent cable theft and trenching, provide a comprehensive plan to upgrade and maintain the electrical infrastructure, engage with the community to ensure that their concerns are heard and addressed, and explain the disparity in treatment between Welverdiend and other low-cost housing areas in Ward 12.

The municipality did not respond by printing time.