Residents of Empilisweni in Thokoza have been without electricity for more than four weeks, enduring harsh winter conditions.

The power outage began on May 27, and despite several calls and reference numbers submitted to the CoE, the matter remains unresolved. About 15 households are affected.

According to residents, they reported the fault to the CoE the same day the outage occurred. Since then, daily life has become difficult. Children bathe in cold water before school, struggle to complete homework, and working adults return home unable to cook or warm their homes.

A resident said the municipality visited the area once – two weeks after the issue began – and suspected a burnt-out underground cable supplying power to their houses needed replacing. However, they were awaiting a contractor to excavate the site. Tired of waiting, residents offered to do the digging themselves.

After residents exposed the faulty cable, technicians returned to replace it, but electricity was still not restored. They were told technicians would return the next day to resolve the issue, but no one came.

With frustrations mounting and perishable food spoiling, some residents visited the Department of Energy in Swartkoppies to demand answers.

According to one resident, they were told technicians feared returning to Empilisweni due to alleged threats from community members.

“We were told that someone had threatened to shoot them, and they want an apology before they come back. But I don’t believe anyone made such threats, it feels like an excuse,” said a resident.

Ward Clr Thabo Thupha confirmed he had spoken to technicians and expected electricity to be restored by June 13. However, the power remains off.

The councillor told the publication, “Technicians are afraid for their safety. I went to the energy department and apologised on behalf of the community, but they need assurance that they’ll be safe. The technician won’t return unless those who made the threats apologise. We tried resolving this over the phone, but he didn’t accept the apology. We were told a male and a female went to the department to make the threats. I can’t confirm this, but they need to go back and apologise. We are working on a solution, but it can’t be fixed overnight.”

City spokesperson Zweli Dlamini confirmed that a team was working on the issue and said power would soon be restored, but could not give a date.

As of now, residents in Mpilisweni remain in the dark, with no clear timeline for the restoration of power. For many, the only proposed resolution is an apology from individuals alleged to have made threats.