According to DA councillor San-Marie Wait, electric cables have been vandalized in the areas since Monday.

“Contractors come and join the cables, just for them to be cut again during the night,” an audibly frustrated Ms Wait told www.mobserver.co.za.

“My colleagues and I have not slept in days, assisting the community with growing complaints, the damage being done by striking municipal employees will take months to reverse,” she says, adding that “it is crucial for residents to go out in numbers on Monday to vote, and take back the power from saboteurs and corrupt fat-cats”. One of the residents of the area wishing to stay anonymous, told www.mobserver.co.za that cables had been cut in front of his Oos Street home, and in front of the homes of two of his neighbours, last night.

He says the cables were not cut and stolen, but left behind as an act of sabotage.

Ms Wait says the problem is also ongoing in Bhimy Damane Street where cables had to be joined by contractors throughout the week.

Ongoing stage 4 load-shedding is also complicating things for contractors deployed in the affected areas since Monday. “Residents must also note that municipal employees know the networks, while the contractors don’t. Contractors unfortunately have to search for the problems, and load-shedding is only complicating matters,” Ms Wait says.

An Indian resident www.mobserver.co.za spoke to said “we have tremendous respect for what DA councillor Wait has been doing, she will definitely be getting my vote”.

The blackout comes on the back of the recent water shortages in Kanonkop, Dennesig and Mhluzi, with high lying areas without water for a full week.

Meanwhile, the unprotected – ILLEGAL – strike is set to continue indefinitely, with workers reveling in the destruction and economic sabotage. Residents are calling on Municipal Manager Advocate Bheki Khenisa to terminate the employment of all striking employees, who have received salaries for October, despite the strike having started on September 19.

Political parties have also questioned the absence of provincial and national leadership, saying “the ANC desperately needs every single vote, and therefore don’t want to irk the municipal work force even more”.

“It’s a disgrace,” Ms Wait says.

• Mhluzi especially has transformed into a massive dumpsite, littered with trash everywhere, leading to widespread calls for a boycott of the ANC at the polls.