Standerton residents want to offload load-shedding

The bitter pill of power and water interruptions has to be swallowed.

Not only did Eskom introduce Stage 5 load-shedding the past week, but Lekwa’s internal load-shedding also came into play when demand reached unmanageable proportions.

The bite in the air in spring weather did not make things easier and time-wise, up to eight or nine hours on a given day were dished out.

Should you be withdrawing money at an ATM at a filling station and the power goes off, your bank card might not be so easy to retrieve.

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Paying your account or buying goods at a retail store in the Monument Centre during load-shedding, will not involve the usual swiping of the card, but an ID will be needed to complete the transaction.

The now familiar refrain of Standerton becoming a ghost town was heard.

An overload leads to regular tripping of the network and locals keep their fingers crossed that appliances will withstand the onslaught.

Residents who don’t have the luxury of a generator or solar panels, make do with a flashlight, lamps and candles in the evening and the campers surely by now, have taken their equipment indoors.

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A debatable point altogether is whether petrol or diesel can be afforded hours on end, daily, in the long run.

Lekwa Municipality added fuel to the fire when indicating the past week that repair work to equipment at both A and B substations was planned for Friday, September 23 from 08:00 – 17:00.

Affected areas were Kosmospark, Florapark, upper residential areas, commercial areas, Standerton Hospital, Correctional Services, Standerton Police Station, J-line, Sakhile Ext 6 and 7, Azalea, Shivovo and the R-line.

Security companies warn their customers that alarms need to be checked as a matter of urgency and gate motors need some back-up.

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A case in point is when an alarm sends out a signal and then goes on the blink.

Watching television is dicey if you don’t have an inverter because a power surge may damage the set or the decoder.

Electricity tariffs have increased as well.

Whether to switch on the geyser an hour or two before a bath or keep it on, becomes a difficult decision as the meter is running.

Furthermore, Standerton Water Treatment Plant shudders along, with water interruptions galore and geysers not able to fill up to capacity.

The water network depends on electricity supply and the tap water on Friday, September 23 at a household in sub B was a grisly brown, but began dribbling a bit clearer after a while.

Goldi in the meantime sent a water truck the past week to be stationed in Kosmospark to help residents.

Ina Coetzee, dealer principal in the motor industry, said everybody is under financial strain due to load-shedding.

“The economy is bearing the brunt with interest rates going up. Customers expect businesses to be up and running,” Coetzee added.

Levis Hlongwane, manager, at a family restaurant, also said power interruptions affect them badly. Electricity and water supply may remain contentious service delivery grievances in Standerton.