A family of five, two households next to them and eight other households behind their home, all living on one plot, have not have electricity for the last four months.
The family of five consists of a 63-year-old, teens aged 15 and 13, and their 34- and 38-year-old parents. The family wishes to remain anonymous, as the mother, who will be referred to as Kate, wants to spare her children embarrassment.
The family has been living there for four months. Other people on the plot have been there for 16 years. In one of the neighbouring houses, there is a family with an eight-month-old baby and an eight-year-old child.
Kate said, “We managed to get a water tank from the municipality, but we have repeatedly asked them about the electricity. Their reply was that the families must obtain a cable, and then the municipality will connect the power”.
Kate’s husband does odd jobs for a bit of a income, but otherwise the family is suffering. They fetch one food parcel in Westonaria, which, if you use it all at once, will only last for two days.
To make matters worse, their house has no windows at all. ” It’s cold, and I cannot imagine the winter without windows,” said Kate. The family does not have the money for the cable. All of the residents help each other out, with one of them even growing vegetables for them to eat.
Nobody should have to live like this, and the Herald will contact the Rand West Local City Municipality for help. If anybody in the community wants to help the family, please call us on 011 693 3671.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (please remember to include your contact details in the email) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
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