Ward 92 councillor Charmaine Ngoepe has confirmed she is fully aware of a transformer fault affecting 50 households on Knife Jaw Street in Kaalfontein Ext 4.

Ngoepe said the matter forms part of a broader electricity challenge involving four faulty transformers across Ward 92, including two in Kaalfontein Ext 2, one in Ext 4 and another in Ext 5.

“Yes, I am aware of the affected residents’ concerns and have taken steps to facilitate engagements between the communities and Eskom,” said Ngoepe.

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Her response follows concerns raised by residents urging Eskom to prioritise the installation of smart meters and replace the transformer so households can return to normal daily routines. “When the four transformers developed faults, I convened separate meetings with residents in each affected section,” said Ngoepe, “to explain the procedure communicated by Eskom and the requirements that needed to be fulfilled.”

She said residents were informed that they had to compile a spreadsheet listing all households connected to each affected transformer. “The spreadsheet had to be submitted to Eskom for an audit, with my office copied on the email to enable me to monitor progress. Once the audit results were returned, households were identified using a color-coded system.”

She said according to the explanation provided by Eskom, green on the spreadsheet indicated households that were purchasing electricity, while red indicated households that were not purchasing electricity.

The process is intended to establish the electricity purchasing status of households connected to the affected transformers and determine applicable requirements.

Ngoepe convened meetings with each affected section to explain the process and documentation required, and accompanied community representatives to Eskom’s North Rand offices in Chloorkop on three separate occasions, so the power utility could explain its requirements directly.

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Through these engagements, Ngoepe sought to ensure that residents understood the process and had an opportunity to raise their concerns with responsible officials.

She said she continues raising electricity challenges affecting the ward during engagements with Eskom, noting that, at a meeting approximately two weeks ago, Eskom indicated that three transformers would be replaced. Initially, a R5 000 fine was part of the process communicated to residents. However, Ngoepe said Eskom subsequently clarified that the applicable amount for households found not to be purchasing electricity was R6 052.

Ngoepe said Eskom indicated that households able to afford the full amount can pay, while those unable to afford it immediately can start by paying R1 000 or more.

She said Eskom explained that the transformer will be replaced once 60% of affected residents have made the required payments. “Eskom also explained that it was experiencing financial losses because some residents stopped purchasing electricity after their transformers had been replaced. This was the reason communicated to residents for introducing the payment threshold before proceeding with replacement.”

She urged residents to verify their individual account requirements and make payments only through official Eskom channels. The councillor said the delay to repair and restore power in the area is occurring due to the slow payments by residents. “I have not received a confirmed replacement date.

I will continue engaging Eskom to obtain a clear implementation timeline and updates on progress towards meeting the payment threshold and replacing the transformers,” she said.

“I understand the frustration of residents who have endured a prolonged electricity outage. Eskom strictly needs residents to pay.

“However, I would like to clarify that my office has not ignored the matter. My intention throughout has been to facilitate communication between residents and Eskom, ensure that residents understand the requirements and seek a practical resolution.”

Ngoepe added that the situation in Knife Jaw Street must also be understood in the context of the other transformer faults affecting Kaalfontein Ext 2 and Ext 5.

“While the technical intervention and implementation of transformer replacement rests with Eskom, I will continue advocating for residents and seeking tangible outcomes.”

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