Residents FED UP with being in the dark

Marietta Lombard

Just as residents had tallied the losses suffered due to the week-long power outage, they were hit by a second power outage less than a week later.
Residents first suffered financial strain due to frozen food going off and businesses had to shut doors due to the January 21 to 26 power outage.
Many, in desperation, purchased generators as residents still worked from home.
Attempts by Express to obtain answers when the second power outage hit large parts of Kempton Park on Monday went unanswered at the time of going to print.
Express staff have also been left frustrated, as our office in Aston Manor has similarly been impacted by the power outages.
Residents who had just replaced food in their freezers experienced panic when their freezers again went off on Monday, considering the hike in the cost of food and fuel for generators.
Late Monday night an update from MMC of energy Senzi Sibeko was circulated by ward councillors. This update stated that a fault on the 66kV cable supply in Kempton Park tripped.
A statement by the metro read as follows: “The cause has been determined as a fault on a blue phase feeder. The team is on site, locating the fault. We are exploring alternative measures to restore power. At the moment, it is very difficult to estimate restoration time.”
At the time of going to print on Tuesday (February 1), the media office at the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) informed Express that communications officers were still awaiting feedback from engineers.
Express was referred to the MMC and despite an urgent media inquiry sent to the MMC already on Monday night and phone calls on Tuesday, Express was unable to make contact with Sibeko.
During the January 21 to 26 power outage, Express reported CoE had stated that two faults were found on the 66kV network.
The installation process of the joints on the 66kV network was completed and the cable was vacuumed to remove moisture. Oil was pumped into the cable.
Ward 15 Clr Amanda Davison on Monday responded that CoE was aware of the second power outage in large parts of Kempton Park, including Van Riebeeck Park, Norkem Park, Birchleigh, Edleen, Bonaero Park and Birch Acres. Davison and Ward 104 Clr Tracey Lourenco said a team had been dispatched to investigate.
Added to that, residents also reported power outages in Aston Manor, Terenure, Glen Marais and Allen Grove.
In a letter addressed to the president and circulated to the media, David Viljoen complained that during the weeklong power outage, residents had to dispose of meat and other foods, children were unable to learn and many were unable to work.
“The thundering and deafening silence from the powers that be in Kempton Park is still reverberating in our ears. And now again on January 31, there is no electricity. Mr President, please be so kind as to use your influence and power to determine the root cause of the electricity issues in Kempton Park. Please, please get someone to fix it properly,” a desperate Viljoen wrote.
Viljoen was one of many residents who expressed frustration.
Express previously requested a response from CoE and the new leadership's plans to prevent such power outages, details about the causes of the power outages and the long period of the outage, maintenance on infrastructure and damages suffered by residents and businesses due to the power outages. No response to these was received.
CoE was also previously requested to comment on residents' belief that officials lacked the engineering expertise to permanently resolve the Kempton Park power outage.
At the time of going to print at 10:30 on February 1, CoE had not issued any statement on the cause of the second power outage nor were questions about the frustrations experienced by residents answered.