Davison challenges delayed restoration after Birchleigh cable theft
Despite residents reportedly submitting proof requested by the municipality, Davison said many households remain without power.
Residents in parts of Birchleigh remain without electricity several days after service and main electrical cables were stolen, with concerns mounting over delays in restoring power to affected properties.
Ward 15 councillor Amanda Davison said she has been engaging extensively with City of Ekurhuleni Energy officials, the City’s customer relationship management (CRM) department, MMCs and the Executive Mayor’s office in an effort to expedite the restoration of electricity.
In a message to residents on July 8, Davison apologised for what she described as a lack of updates while she continued to pursue the matter with municipal officials.
According to Davison, the latest response she received from the Energy Department at approximately 16:07 on July 8 stated: “All stolen service connection cables will be attended to in due course.”
Also read: Electricity theft in focus as Ekurhuleni ramps up enforcement operations
She said she was informed that residents are expected to have their municipal accounts fully paid before electricity supply can be restored following incidents of cable theft, a requirement she said she is contesting.
“I am fighting this,” Davison told residents.
The outages stem from cable theft reported on July 6, affecting both individual residential service connections and a main electricity cable at the corner of Silverleaf Avenue and Ysterhout Street.
The theft of the main cable has left numerous households without electricity.
Davison shared a list of affected addresses, indicating that several residents had already submitted the required affidavits and account information to the City, while others were still in the process of providing the necessary documentation.
Despite residents reportedly submitting proof requested by the municipality, Davison said many households remain without power.
Also read: Residents battle electricity outage after cable theft in Rhodesfield
She also shared a record of repeated requests for updates sent to municipal officials between July 5 and July 7, saying multiple follow-ups had been made without a resolution for all affected residents.
The prolonged outage has left many households frustrated as they await the replacement of the stolen cables and the restoration of electricity.
The Kempton Express has approached the City of Ekurhuleni for comment regarding the restoration process, the requirement for residents to have fully paid municipal accounts before reconnection, and the expected timeline for repairs. Their response will be published once received.
