Many residents throughout Ward 70 and 71 often complain that they feel they spend more time without power than with it, and not because of load-shedding.
Cable theft, vandalism and illegal connections are the main causes of recurring power issues in these areas. Hoping to lessen the frequency of these events, which also result in accidental electrocutions from time to time, City Power has announced the electrification of two Region C informal settlements – Princess and Rugby Club.
Mlungisi Mabaso, the MMC for Housing, initially announced that formalisation plans would only include the Rugby Club and Matholesville informal settlements, not Princess, but after years of behind-the-scenes work, a budget has been approved for Ward 85 to electrify some of the stands in the settlement.
Princess is shared between Wards 71 and 85, so at the moment only the stands that fall within Ward 85 will be included in the electrification processes. Approximately 2 773 stands within the settlement will benefit from the electrification. In addition, 900 street lights will be installed in the area to further ensure the safety of residents and motorists. At a public meeting on Sunday, 25 April, the Ward 85 councillor, Sonja Meyer, clarified that the prepaid meters will be installed on the selected stands, and the residents there will need to buy their electricity like all other citizens.
In the Rugby Club informal settlement in Ward 70 the electrification of 436 houses as well as the installation of street lights have been approved. Collectively, about 4 200 households will benefit from this process. The approved budgets will include the necessary equipment and materials as well as labour costs, totalling more than R96 million between the two settlements. City Power spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, confirmed that 20 labourers and one CLO (community liaison officer) will be selected from local communities for the projects, with Sonja adding that the CLO for the Princess project has already been selected.
The work to electrify the settlements is set to begin during the week of 10 May and, depending on allocations from the Housing Department, has a three-month turnaround time. “The reason City Power is embarking on this project is to ensure residents have access to safe, reliable, legal electricity supply,” said Isaac. “With electricity, local businesses will also flourish while jobs are created,” he concluded.
Sonja is pleading with residents to be understanding while this process is under way. There may be a few inconveniences during the electrification processes, so residents are asked to please be patient. She concluded by saying, “This has been a long time coming, and I am so grateful it is finally happening. I support this project 100 per cent, especially because it is improving the lives of these residents. The benefits will be reaped by the whole community.”
