VEREENIGING – Residents of Bedworthpark have been left without electricity for periods ranging between 9 and 17 days, forcing many to endure the freezing winter temperatures without heating or reliable lighting.

The prolonged outages have had severe consequences for vulnerable community members, including the elderly, children, and residents with chronic medical conditions. Despite logging repeated complaints through official channels, many residents claim their calls have gone unanswered, and faults remain unresolved.

The situation came to a head on Saturday, 14 June, when frustrated residents barricaded roads and burned tyres in protest. The demonstrations were aimed at drawing attention to what they describe as the incompetence and inaction of the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM).

“The Mayor, the MMC, and other officials have been completely unresponsive to the cries of our communities,” said Cllr Von Bodenstein, DA Ward Councillor for Ward 04. “It’s shocking that in this day and age, residents are forced to resort to street protests just to be heard.”

The DA has accused the municipality of failing to deliver basic services, despite reportedly ballooning overtime bills for standby electricians who, residents claim, are not being deployed as needed.

The party says it will continue advocating for residents’ rights and holding the municipality accountable for service delivery failures.