Mayibuye residents protest over electricity outages and rising tariffs
Frustrated by ongoing power issues and increased tariffs, Mayibuye residents recently blocked Modderfontein Road in protest.
Residents of Mayibuye took to the streets on Modderfontein Road recently to protest ongoing electricity problems and rising rates.
Community members have accused City Power (CP) of failing to resolve their concerns.
According to residents, CP has refused to attend to faults in the area, citing safety concerns. Technicians have allegedly been held hostage during previous visits, which the utility says has made it difficult to provide services.
In response, CP has stated that it will only resume services once stability has been restored in the area.
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Residents, however, argue that a formal agreement exists between them and CP, and they expect that agreement to be upheld.
Thapelo Ngwane, secretary of the Mayibuye Youth Activism Movement, said the community is calling for the restoration of electricity and meaningful engagement.
“We are saying, as residents, that we have a memorandum signed with CP. It must be respected by both parties, and we are willing to engage with them going forward,” said Ngwane.
“As a low-income area, we are asking CP to switch the power back on and to come and engage with us on how we can move forward and ensure the issues in the memorandum are addressed.”
Isaac Mangena, CP’s general manager for public relations and communications, explained that tariff increases of 12.1% have been approved by the national energy regulator and will apply to all customers.
He emphasised, however, that measures are in place to support vulnerable households.
“The city will target low-income households under the new tariff structure. We conduct socio-economic reviews annually, keeping in mind that many residents are very poor, and we are working to improve this in the current economic climate,” Mangena said.
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He urged customers who qualify for free basic electricity to register or update their details, as this allows CP to track and manage electricity losses more effectively. He also encouraged residents with damaged meter boxes to contact CP for free repairs.
The matter remains unresolved, and The Thembisan will continue to provide updates as the situation develops, both online and in print.
