DA ward councillor Johann Dyason, who serves as chairman for the portfolio committee of infrastructure, confirmed rumours that the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality’s cable supply has been exhausted by continued cable theft, which has now reached crisis point.

While hotspot areas like Mhluzi and Middelburg’s CBD have been sitting without electricity since yesterday afternoon at 17:00, it remains unknown when electricity will be restored due to the shortage of electrical cables.

Residents of Oos, Brug, Park and Dr Beyers Naudé Drive have expressed their frustration over the lengthy power outage they have experienced since Wednesday evening.

The DA councillor for the ward, San-Mari Wait, confirmed that the outages are due to cable theft and vandalism, adding that large parts of Mhluzi and Groenkol are also affected, “There is a large sadness surrounding this whole situation. I just received a call from a man, who cried over the phone like a child.

“Being month-end, many residents have gone to do their monthly grocery shopping, and spoilable foods like meat go off. The man’s meat supply for the month has been spoiled. Another factor that comes into play is that 80 per cent of Middelburg’s population fall within the middle to low class, and they don’t have the financial means to survive such damages,” Cllr Wait pointed out.

“We have the utmost sympathy for these residents.”

Cllr Wait wished to make an appeal to other residents who have electricity and the necessary fridge space, to perhaps offer neighbours storage for spoilable foods.

Cllr Dyason explained that while the municipality does have a budget set aside to ensure the supply of cables remains well stocked, the municipality cannot store an excessive supply at the magasyn due to increased thefts from store rooms, “Not only are cable supplies carried off from the magasyn itself, cable thefts across all wards in Middelburg have gotten out of hand. The municipality simply can’t keep up, and replacing stolen cables is just about all the electrical department does every day. They don’t even get the chance to get around to other work.”

Cllr Dyason told the Middelburg Observer that cable theft has gotten so out of hand that they will have to rope in the assistance of the public and neighbourhood watch groups to combat thefts, “We are not receiving the necessary backup from local law enforcement, and we will have to orchestrate a plan that includes community involvement to address the problem.”

Cllr Dyason shared photos received from the electrical department currently operating in Mhluzi, which capture the severity of cable thefts in the area.