Rhodesfield Extension 1 residents finally get power back

Rhodesfield Extension 1 residents, who had been without electricity since Sunday, December 14, finally had power restored this afternoon, December 18, following a protest at the Ekurhuleni Energy Department in Kempton Park this morning.

Residents had visited the department on December 17, seeking answers about the prolonged outage.

Feeling ignored by the municipality, they returned the next day to protest. Initially, they were told to expect power restoration around 15:00, but electricity was restored earlier than anticipated, at approximately 12:20.

Ashika Singh Pillay, a resident of Rhodesfield Extension 1, expressed frustration over the delay and the municipality’s handling of the situation.

“We could have had power by Monday if they had worked, but they lied. Nobody did anything until today.

Also read: Days without power push Rhodesfield residents to protest

“Since Sunday, absolutely nothing was done. Now they worked for a few hours and power is back. How stupid do they think we are?

“It is sad that we have to protest to be heard or taken seriously. One of the employees waved a gun at the ladies who were protesting, and another tried to run one of the residents down,” Singh Pillay said.

Ward 17 councillor Simon Lapping, who was called to the department during the protest, had earlier informed residents that the estimated restoration time was 15:00.

“After two days of protest by very unhappy residents, power to Rhodesfield Extension 1 was restored a few hours earlier than the department’s many extended time frames.

Also read: Residents left in the dark as Rhodesfield power outage drags on

“The lesson from this experience is that the city’s electricity department in Kempton Park must communicate honestly with the public and stop sugar-coating issues.

“Residents have the right to be informed about matters affecting them in a truthful, transparent, and timely manner, as outlined in the Batho Pele principles,” Lapping said.