Four extensions of villages in Maruleng have been without electricity for almost ten years. During a meeting in Molalani with Maruleng Local Municipality (MLM) Mayor Tsheko Musolwa, residents told Musulwa that supply is so weak that whenever it is windy, they know for sure the electricity will be interrupted. “We compare it to a candle; the wind blows it dead.”

“We would like to request you to fix it for us. Our children struggle to study, and it becomes unsafe as criminals are active when it is dark,” said Abel Nkwana, one of the residents. The mayor told the meeting that the municipality has requested and received an Integrated National Electrification Programme (INEP) grant that is used for planning, project management and funding of infrastructure like MV lines and substations for households that cannot afford to pay for electricity.

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Funds from the grant will be available from July, and it will be used to upgrade and install electricity. He said MLM will go about it step by step, starting with Balloon and Hlohlokwe and from there they will go to Enable. “There are areas where electricity is a huge problem. We asked Eskom to improve the substation because it is true, the electricity goes off once it is windy,” he said.

He said the same goes for Bismark and the other villages mentioned. “In Enable, residents living in an extension called Modulathuko, have not had electricity for over 10 years. “One resident told me his children have since grown up and still they do not have electricity. This emphasised how long they have been struggling. “I told him that I have asked our officials to request Eskom to fix the problem,” he said.