Residents of Ext 18, the area that is known as Wellas in eMbalenhle, locked the Govan Mbeki Municipality’s technical yard on August 31, demanding electricity.
Their action was sparked by an incident where the transformer that supplied them with electricity and its poles nearly burned to ashes and the fire also spread to a nearby house.
The transformer started by leaking oil and then caught on fire after the municipal daily load-shedding last month.
Residents spent almost two weeks without electricity.
The municipality blamed illegal connections and overloading for the fire.
“We were promised that a service provider will come to replace the damaged transformer and its burnt poles within days after the incident occurred, but we only saw people come, take photos and go.
“Our appliances are damaged and the food in our fridges is rotting. Who will replace all that we are losing?” said residents.
“We want the municipality to give us electricity.
“If they are saying this was caused by illegal connections, it means their law-enforcers are getting paid for doing nothing. It is their job to enforce by-laws by removing all those who are illegally connected and opening cases against them,” said one of the residents.
Residents even visited the municipality supply chain in Secunda where they were promised that a service provider will be on-site to install a new transformer.
Since the winter began, more than 16 shacks burned down and residents are now alleging that these fires were caused by the unstable electricity supply in the area.
Six people also lost their lives, including two children who burned to death at Ext 22 when they were left alone at home with their older brother while their mother took their father to the hospital.
The electricity allegedly went off in the evening and they decided to lit the candle.
The children fell asleep with the burning candle and the shack caught on fire.
The oldest child managed to save two of his siblings, but their nine-year-old sister and 20-month-old baby brother perished in the flames.
Many residents lost their properties and family members in eMbalenhle due to municipal load-shedding.
The residents also claimed that they do not receive schedules for planned municipal load-shedding.
They also said the municipality just switches off electricity at any time without notice or consideration.
“When politicians want our votes, they say we must vote so that our voices can be heard, but once they are there in chamber, our voices are shut.
“The extension 5 substation was inherited from the apartheid government, but it worked and was correctly planned for few extensions.
Then came the current government who keep unfulfilled promises and has poor planning.
“How can you add residential stands or extensions before extending the electricity infrastructure as per the demand? Why did they expand the township before there was infrastructure?,” asked Mr Vusi Mahlangu, resident.
GMM annually implements rotational load-shedding at eMbalenhle without a planned schedule or, if there is a schedule, not adhering to it.
The residents accused GMM of buying cheap and unreliable transformers and then blaming the community when for illegal connections every time a transformer explodes.
“Why are transformers not exploding in other municipalities?
“We have incompetent electricians, cadre deployment and other forms of incompetency. Municipal employees and their service providers are the ones who illegally connect residents to the grid, ” claimed Ms Siyanda Mlomo, a resident.
“Whenever you see someone climbing a ladder to an electricity pole, at night, it is either a municipal employee or an employee of a service provider performing an illegal connection for a resident.
“GMM should actually apologise to us,” said Ms Mlomo.
