A month-long power outage at Talana Museum is threatening the livelihoods of businesses operating at the complex, while the lack of lighting and working alarm systems has raised security concerns.

Patricia Strauss, chairperson of the Talana Museum Board of Trustees, said securing the museum’s valuable exhibits had become an immediate concern.

“As trustees, our immediate duty is to secure the safety of the valuables in the museum, many of which are priceless,” she said.

Strauss said a shot had already been fired at one of the guards and a water tank damaged.

Following a crisis meeting with local businesses, Willie Steenberg, Alan Schonken, Azmat Khan and a Corobrik team volunteered to help install an alarm system and emergency floodlights.

“This at least keeps our insurance policy active and gives the night guards lighting,” Strauss said.

The outage has also hit businesses hard

John da Silva, who runs the Kwakunje accommodation village, said occupancy had fallen from about 70% to 20%, while his generator costs about R20,000 in fuel a month.

“Many tour groups simply cancel when they hear we don’t have electricity,” he said.

Da Silva said he had continued paying his staff despite the loss of business.

Ros Habgood, who runs the Miner’s Rest restaurant, said the business had lost overseas tourists to Newcastle because buses were no longer stopping at the museum.

The restaurant is also operating a generator costing about R400, while its menu has had to be changed because some meals cannot be prepared on gas.

Municipality owes more than R103,000

Strauss said Endumeni Municipality had accumulated more than R103,000 in arrears on the Eskom account supplying the museum complex, which is not part of the municipality’s power infrastructure.

She said repeated appeals to the municipality had received no response.

Councillors Naresh Gopie and Saleem Abdool had tried to assist, she said, but Endumeni’s financial difficulties had complicated the matter.

Abdool told the meeting that, because the municipality’s unfunded budget had not been passed, Provincial Treasury had restricted day-to-day spending to 8% of the previous year’s budget. He said Eskom had also indicated that the power would remain off without a commitment from the municipality to pay.

Strauss questioned what had happened to the R634,000 annual allocation the municipality receives through Provincial Museum Services, saying the museum had not received the money for several years.

She also raised concerns over the museum’s share of gate fees, saying 20% of the R50 adult entrance fee had not been paid to the museum for more than eight years.

The museum estimates it has lost about R10,000 in entrance fees since the outage began.

Despite the crisis, Strauss said the museum remained open and thanked those who had stepped forward to assist.

“For now, our award-winning museum remains in darkness. We are extremely thankful to the many people who have stepped forward during this crisis to assist so unselfishly.”

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