Residents of Bellairs Manor Estate in North Riding are angry that City Power has failed to solve their concerns over an exposed electricity cable.
City Power connected the electric cable from a substation running through residents’ gardens in the residential complex to the complex electric box.
This was apparently done to temporarily solve the power outage problem after residents spent five days without electricity.
“The responsible department cannot tell us when this dangerous situation will be solved,” said Bellairs Manor Estate manager Joseph Gulyas.
Residents had been receiving electricity for a period of two weeks through that cable.
Gulyas complained that the electric box inside the complex was left opened and posing threats to residents.
He said,“An 11 000 volts substation is not even locked and that’s dangerous to our residents.”
He claimed that he tried to meet with Ward 115 councillor Chris Santana to discuss problems in their complex but was reluctant to meet with them.
Bellairs Manor Home Owner’s Association chairperson John Hare explained that the alleged bad contractor, who was upgrading the road, damaged their electric boxes two years ago.
He further explained that ever since then residents were in dire need for help, until City Power solved a problem with another one.
Santana said that when residents reported the problem he escalated it to City Power and that he never refused to meet with them.
“I left a message with City Power to find out why the problem was not yet solved,” he concluded.
According to entity spokesperson Sydney Mphahlele,a fault under the road on the cable that supplies Bellairs Manor Estate was located after a power loss in the complex.
“A temporary cable was then installed to give customers power. City Power technicians are satisfied that the installation of the temporary cable is as per requirements and nobody will be harmed by the cable,” explained Mphahlele.
He further explained that as the cable fault was under the road, City Power had arranged a drilling contractor to drill the road so that the fault could be reached and repaired.
“The drilling will be starting soon and the whole drilling and repair work is expected to be finished by 20 September,” concluded Mphahlele.
Details: Ward 115 councillor Chris Santana 082 416 7714; City Power 011 490 7607.
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