Stolen cable cause prolonged darkness in Deneysville
The affected residents have repeatedly reached out to their ward councillors, only to be met with complete silence and zero feedback.
DENEYSVILLE – Residents of this normally placid town are up in arms over what they describe as a severe, unmitigated municipal failure.
“Some residents have been left without electricity for over 10 days, with some households now enduring their third consecutive week in total darkness,” says Damian Joubert, spokesperson for the affected households.
Adding insult to injury is the total collapse of accountability among local leaders.
“Appeals made directly to the mayor have proven equally futile, yielding neither solutions nor action. They feel completely abandoned by the very people elected to serve them.”
For these households, the situation has passed the breaking point.
Distressed residents have reached out to Vaalweekblad, reporting spoiled food supplies, mounting financial losses for local businesses, and vulnerable or elderly community members left to fend for themselves under unacceptable conditions.
To date, the local municipality has failed to provide any meaningful communication to the residents.
Frustration is further fuelled by perceived double standards in municipal response times compared to neighbouring areas.
“When a substation blew up in Sasolburg, the municipality managed to secure three competitive quotes within a single day to resolve the issue. In Deneysville, however, that urgency is completely absent,” says Joubert.
Among those affected are two families sharing a single property, the Croukamps and the Jouberts (not related to Damian Joubert), who have been without power since an electrical cable was cut and stolen on September 20.
Despite reporting the issue immediately, relief remains elusive.
“Electricians came out to inspect the damage and mentioned a cable needed to be ordered, but they never returned,” says Elize Joubert.
“We’ve had to throw away spoiled food, and it is costing us more than R100 a day just to keep two generators running.”
* Vaalweekblad would welcome any response from Metsimaholo Local Municipality concerning the matter. Please contact or send a response to Elsje@mooivaal.co.za
