POLOKWANE – Residents of Westenburg are concerned about two electrical boxes in Nagel Street, because they say these boxes pose a safety hazard.
Two weeks before Christmas last year, an accident saw a car ploughing into one of the boxes. A Westenburg resident said the box was badly damaged in the accident.
“The municipality closed it with a thin steel cover, but the box is still open and the power cables are exposed. Children can easily play with them and they also have access to the switches inside the box,” she said.
Not far from the damaged box there is another electrical box that is not locked. “The box is not locked and the children play with the switches in the box and switch off our electricity. It is also covered with tree branches as there is a tree in front of it. I have pruned the tree before so that we can see the children when they are playing at the box, but I don’t always have the time to do so,” said another concerned resident.
According to these residents, they contacted the municipality, explaining that the two boxes pose a life threatening risk, but the municipality allegedly never responded to their pleas.
“I called and asked that the municipality send someone to fix the damaged electrical box and for them to come and lock the other one, but to date no one has responded,” one resident said.
Matshidiso Mothapo, municipal spokesperson, said they had taken note of the matter. “It was forwarded to our electrical services to be investigated,” he said.
He said the municipality often experienced cases of vandalism on electrical boxes.
Residents were requested to report anyone seen to be tampering with electrical infrastructure to the municipality at (015) 290 2457 or (015) 290 2000.
“When residents call the municipality, they should insist on taking the name of the person who answered the call so that it becomes easier to follow up.”
