“Let’s move!” This was the last message sent on various WhatsApp groups before scores of residents pitched at Duma Substation to demand that the power be switched back on.

Households connected to Rooidraai Substation, fed by Duma, have for the past three consecutive weekends experienced power outages, starting at approximately the same time every Friday night.

Each time the outage was reported, feedback from Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) suggested that an electrical problem had occurred and that it was tending to the repair thereof. The latter was accepted until a leaked document proved to provide the true answer for the outage: TCLM has apparently not been honouring its payment obligation towards the China Sinogy Electric Engineering (CSEEC), which in turn switched off the power in an attempt to force the municipality to pay the outstanding amounts.

The message that resulted in residents arriving at the station contained the following information: “Dear Councillor, Duma has been providing services for 15 months and we haven’t received a cent from municipality. Putting aside the agreement negotiation, we urgently need the fund for spares purchase, servicing, operation and maintenance, otherwise the substation will break down any time now, we could now only do some basic manual repairing where we can, there is a big risk the power supply may be interrupted long-term or even permanently due to lack of the above. We have met the MM and her team twice and tried to communicate to them, however they are ignoring us. I kindly request that you help us to urge municipality pay us some fund now, our staff also need the salary to support their families (sic)”.

The message spread like wildfire and within minutes, a crowd of people gathered at Jock’s Country Stalls before driving out to Duma. A lone security officer at the station tried in vain to prevent community members from entering the grounds. When Steelburger/Lydenburg News arrived, tempers were already flaring with residents parked inside the station as well as next to the entrance of the substation.

Local businessman, Mohamed Cassim, was mediating between community members, TCLM and CSEEC employees for the restoration of the power. CSEEC employees said they would only come to the site if all cars and people moved away from the station. Residents agreed to leave the ground of the substation, but not the site and not until power had been restored. Cassim was also the one who managed to convince Chinese contractors and municipal employees to come out to the site. Electricity to the various extensions connected to the station was restored just after 22:00 the same night.

 Last year, TCLM stopped and “reviewed” the public-private partnership (PPP) contract with CSEEC. This after the initial amount for the construction of Duma, R295 million, increased to R388 million and finally to R410 million. After a law suit was threatened, TCLM reinstated the project and construction continued. The newspaper sent queries to TCLM regarding the allegations made in the message that was distributed as well as what the current situation is with regard to Duma’s repayment.

Themba Sibiya, communication manager at TCLM said that the municipality does have a PPP agreement with CSEEC to assist the municipality with electricity supply within Lydenburg. The municipality realised that the PPP is not compliant and not fully registered with treasury. Both parties (TCLM and CSEEC) then agreed to review the agreement in total to ensure that it can comply with PPP regulations. Therefore the monetary agreement between the parties were suspended and in absence of an agreement, no payment would be made.

Sibiya said that TCLM and CSEEC are still in discussions on the matter and that there is currently no legal matter pending. Attempts to contact someone at CSEEC proved fruitless.