A portion of Heuweloord on Rhodesian Teak Avenue has been affected by constant electricity cuts that are becoming unbearable, residents said. It was indicated at the meeting on Friday that the power went off almost every Friday morning and was restored again only on Sunday afternoon. Speaking to one of the residents, George Ince, he said the cuts were affecting them badly, as they had to rely on candles over weekends. He added that the cuts also had a financial implication, as food in the freezer went rotten.
He said that the residents notified the Electricity department about the constant tripping every time the power went off, but it seemed as if nothing was being done to address the challenge permanently. He further said most residents were scared that criminal activities would escalate as criminals took advantage of the situation.
“If someone broke into my house I wouldn’t know what to do because with candles you cannot really see anything. The continued power cuts are surprising because some days ago we were told that all the electricity boxes were checked and that nothing was wrong with them. We just want a permanent solution to this. Tshwane should realise that the festive season is almost here and we cannot afford to live in fear in our own homes thinking someone might break in.”
Also in attendance was Jabu Khambule from the Heuweloord Residents’ Association, who said they were not aware of the problem, only about the problematic street lights. He encouraged residents to keep records when they called to report such matters so that they could take the matter further should there be no response.
Residents said they hoped the ward councillor would attend the meeting scheduled to take place on Monday at the community centre in order to understand what was really going on with the street lights. An inquiry has been sent to the Tshwane metro.
