Electrical problems at some parts of Hlalanikahle Extension 4

Some residents of Hlalanikahle in Extension 4 (Phase 4) have raised their concern about an electrical problem in their area.

The residents said the problem started on Sunday, September 18 when a transformer blew up affecting some parts of Hlalanikahle Extension 4.

It is said that after it was reported to the stand-byes of the municipality. They also said they received different responses when they tried to inquire about the problem, one saying that the municipality’s lack of equipment to fix the problem while others were told that it will be fixed. The residents are complaining about service delivery problems in their area.

They claimed that they were not pleased with the responses and as they are still without electricity to date on Monday, September 26 while others claimed that they were sent from pillar to post when they tried to inquire about the problem.

“We are not pleased with the service we receive from our municipality, some people are not doing their jobs. We are sick and tired, do we have to march to receive a better service delivery? We need people who can show leadership in our areas. We have new councillors but we seem to be moving backwards in terms of service delivery,” said one of the people affected.

The municipality in their response stated that the area is known to experience problems in respect of electricity, the most common being overloading and consequential burning of transformers. It is said that is mainly as a result of illegal connections which despite various interventions, remain chronic in the area.

“The municipality has replaced transformers on a regular basis in the area as well as in other areas. The main issue the complaints relate to is that of communication. We have placed a focus on improving communication and in addition to the Facebook page which is directly linked to the operational platforms of the various teams, the new councillors are also now much more hands on. The frustration is that many calls to the municipality are not answered or the “wrong person” is spoken to. We acknowledge the problem and changes to the communication channels and platforms are being made. Good news on the long overdue customer service centre will also follow soon,” added a statement from municipality.

ALSO READ:
Use your electricity wisely and pay on time
Winter takes its toll on electricity account