Ikageng residents suffer severe power outages

In addition to constant water problems, Ikageng residents often face power outages beyond load shedding. Neo Khumoeng from the Roma area in Extension 11 says they often go weeks without electricity.

“I do not know where to start with this issue,” Neo lamented. “I cannot believe that service delivery throughout Potch has got so bad over the years.” According to Neo, they spent almost all of last week without electricity.

“While many areas are rejoicing over the eased load shedding, we still feel the pain,” he said. “It feels like we keep experiencing load shedding on top of load shedding.” Neo explains that on a typical day, the electricity goes off from 04:00 to 16:00, only for them to be without electricity two hours later.

“We are suffering,” Neo lamented. “Everything in my fridge is rotten; no one will replace any of it.” Neo says they have tried communicating with the municipality about the problem without success. “This goes beyond load shedding. “The municipality must figure out the issue and do something about it,” he said.

“If it is load shedding, it must at least be consistent, so we can plan our days and not be surprised every time. I pay rates every month and always on time, so I believe I deserve the rightful service timeously.” Neo added that the community is even more confused that their bills continue to skyrocket, despite severe water and energy shortages.

“The municipality needs to explain where the sense lies,” he concluded. In a statement, J.B. Marks reminded residents that from the first to the tenth of every month, the municipality reads domestic water and energy meters and records the amounts. It urged consumers to allow the meter readers access to take accurate readings of household meters.

“The municipal system automatically estimates the readings if an official is barred from entering or is not allowed access to the home,” the statement read. However, the municipality hopes community members will take advantage of the chance to submit their readings and have them documented correctly, with no estimation. The statement also advised residents who have questions about the increased demand for electricity to email mavisk@jbmarks.gov.za or call 018 299 5565.