Govan Mbeki Municipality’s residents explain how loadshedding affected them

HIGHVELD – Although Eskom’s loadshedding seemed to be on hold since the weekend, residents in the Govan Mbeki municipal area are still feeling the effects of the regular power interruptions.

Several Secunda homes remained without electricity for up to 44 hours last week when, after a loadshedding episode, a cable broke and a back actor needed to come from Leandra to dig open the faulty cable.

Some residents in Bethal were not only left without electricity during the loadshedding periods, but also without water.

Some did not have water for five days.

According to Ms Marietjie Fourie, DA Councillor, this is due to the loadshedding.

The pump station at Trichardt that supplies water to Bethal, could not pump water, because there was no electricity.

This affected Bethal residents staying in Bethalrand and Extension 3 and 8, especially people living in higher parts of Bethal.

Ms Fourie is the owner of a guesthouse and said the loadshedding affected her so badly that she considered to temporarily close her guesthouse.

“Business is been done at no profit during loadshedding, because extra diesel needs to be bought to keep the generator running,” said Ms Fourie.

“Guests expect electricity when they have booked accommodation, but if loadshedding continues, I will have to consider closing for that time.

“Four families working here will then be without an income.”

Another business owner on the Highveld, Ms Sanette van Zyl, said she lost a lot of money with the loadshedding, because her card machine cannot work without electricity and extra costs for a generator’s diesel is up to R300 daily.

The owner of a local engineering firm said they had to spend about R1 000 daily on diesel for a massive generator.

“We can still do business, but it costs us more and eventually our clients will have to pay more for the work they want done,” said the business owner.

While loadshedding is being implemented nationally, Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) battles to maintain electricity boxes and open electricity boxes in certain parts of Secunda are a regular site.

The Ridge Times reported specifically on the issue of open electricity boxes a few weeks ago and asked the spokesman of GMM, Mr Benzi Soko, for comment, but to date he has still not responded.

Most residents of eMbalenhle said loadshedding has worsen their problems of power interruptions in the area.

They claimed that power interruptions remains a serious problem in the area and that they hope GMM will resolve this problem soon.

They alleged that even before the loadshedding began, some parts of Extenstion 17 were without power for days.

Mr Mandla Mabena, a resident, said: “We are used to power interruptions in our area and now with loadshedding we are still without power.

“We have lost faith that this crisis will be resolved.”

Mr Bonginkosi Ndlela, eMbalenhle local, said: “I use prepaid electricity and my bill only increased last year, but I have not noticed any changes this year.

“Our daily lives are integrated and dependent on electrical appliances.

“Loadshedding is affecting our church services on Sundays. Attendance drops whenever there is loadshedding.

“I have also noticed that when there are power cuts, cellular networks are affected too.”

Ms Thandi Ngxonono, GMM executive mayor, announced that a contractor who will be working on the Old Bracken Mine Substation to supply eMbalenhle has been appointed.

She said this is part of a lasting solution to the local power interruptions.

The community of Kinross experience loadshedding and seem to accept the way the schedule runs.

They have more concerns of water and lack of service from the municipality.

There has not been streetlights in most of the roads in Kinross, so it does not feel like anything new to the town’s residents.

Also read:

https://www.citizen.co.za/ridge-times/128963/open-electricity-boxes-residential-areas-leave-local-parents-concerned/