Ward 15 councillor Amanda Davison calls for urgent repairs and answers from Ekurhuleni’s Energy Department as affected households face mounting costs.

Residents of Kokerboom and Geelhout streets in Birchleigh have been without electricity since the early hours of Monday, October 12, following the vandalism of a mini-substation.

As of Wednesday, October 14, the outage had entered its third day, despite repeated escalations by Ward 15 councillor Amanda Davison to the Ekurhuleni Energy Department, the Customer Relations Management (CRM) office and the MMC responsible for Energy.

Although the Energy Department indicated that officials had attended the site, power had not been restored by Wednesday morning.

According to Davison, further signs of possible security concerns were also observed, with the substation door left open.

Davison has called for urgent intervention, clear communication about the outstanding repairs and a firm timeframe for restoring the electricity supply.

The prolonged outage is placing additional pressure on affected households, with residents facing the prospect of losing food stored in fridges and freezers. For families already working within tight budgets, replacing spoiled groceries before payday could prove difficult.

One frustrated resident contacted Davison to express their concerns.

“We are still without electricity. They did work at the substation last night, but we still don’t know what is going on. We can’t go on like this. We have to throw all our meat away today, and payday is two weeks away,” the resident said.

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The resident also questioned why repair work appeared to take place only late in the afternoon, arguing that affected households deserved urgent attention regardless of how many properties were without power.

Davison said she had continued to escalate the matter to the relevant officials and political leadership, but stressed that attending the site was not enough if residents remained without electricity.

“The people of Kokerboom and Geelhout cannot be expected to live without electricity for days on end, with little clarity about when their supply will be restored. These are families whose daily lives, food supplies and household budgets are being affected.

“Vandalism of municipal infrastructure is a serious concern, but residents should not be left to carry the consequences without proper communication and decisive action from the City.

“I am requesting urgent intervention from the Energy Department, a clear update on the outstanding repairs, and immediate steps to secure the substation against further vandalism. If officials have already attended the site, residents deserve to know exactly what remains outstanding and when their electricity will be restored.”

Davison said she would continue following up with the relevant departments and escalating the matter until a satisfactory resolution was reached.