TRICHARDT – An electricity pole in Schnetler Street fell over during a storm a few weeks ago and left residents without electricity.
The electricity eventually came back on, but another pole fell over on Tuesday evening, 17 October and the electricity was off again.
According to Mr Mohammed Ebrahim who lives in Schnetler Street, the community pitched in and fitted cables last year to fix one of these poles when it caught fire last November.
“Now it is still not fixed 100 per cent and one of the other poles looks like it is going to fall over soon as well,” said Mr Ebrahim.
He has reported it to Govan Mbeki Municipality and to the ward councillor, Ms Ciska Jordaan. Ms Jordaan said she has done an oversight visit to Trichardt with the MMC of
Technical and Engineering Services of Govan Mbeki Municipality, Mr Dan Nhlapo, on Wednesday, 17 October.
“I requested to show and inform the MMC some pressing issues in Trichardt and these issues include the fallen electricity poles, the potholes all over town, open electricity boxes, unpainted speed humps at Laerskool Trichardt, street lamps with exposed cables and switches that are gone, the malfunctioning of the sewer pump polluting Trichardt
Spruit and the sewage overflow in Vincent Tshabalala Street and Ebrahim Dhaya Street,” said Ms Jordaan.
“The MMC informed the relevant officials then and there of the speed humps, sewer overflow and electrical problems.
“He said he will have a meeting that same afternoon and the next day with other officials related to the other problems.”
Ms Jordaan said this is not the first time that electricity poles in Trichardt have fallen over and she is concerned that the infrastructure in Trichardt is giving in.
“Every time there is a storm or bad weather, the electricity poles fall over and leaves residents without power.”
According to Ms Jordaan, the municipality did fix the poles, but not very good and they cannot replace the electricity poles at the moment because they do not have any poles in their storerooms.
“They now have to appoint a service provider to do the job and that takes time.”
Ms Jordaan said she will follow up with the MMC regarding the issues.
The Ridge Times asked Mr Benzi Soko, Chief of Staff of Govan Mbeki Municipality for comment on the electricity poles and the potholes on Friday, 19 October and his response will be published in the next edition.
