VEREENIGING.- Vereeniging residents closed off entrance to the offices of the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) Electricity Department in Duncanville this morning, Wednesday.

Employees arrived this morning to burning tyres and debris, with residents, particularly those from Stanley and Senator Marks Avenues demanding reconnection to the electricity supply that they say they have been without for approximately two weeks.

Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, the residents said that it is unjust that only two streets, in the whole town, have not had electricity for two weeks.

“The municipality is saying that we have overloaded and that they are going to be bringing in smart meters. How is it that only two streets can overload in the whole big town of Vereeniging?”, they asked.

Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) Member of Mayoral Committee for Waste (MMC), Jonas Radebe, was also amongst those locked out by the residents.

“I have tried to plead with them to at least let employees from my department get in, and get out equipment (trucks) to get to work, but they do not budge. We have trucks to remove waste but they won’t let us do our work. I am busy on the line (phone) now with their (Ward) councillor,” Radebe said.

ELM spokesperson, Makhosonke Sangweni said that the electrical department is handling the matter.

“Residents who buy electricity have every right to demand electricity but those who have done illegal connections have no standing to demand (electricity), and they must accept fines and smart metering immediately before being reconnected and their transformer being fixed.”