Clewer residents might see the light at the end of a dark tunnel
Clewer residents might see the light after four illegal connections were taken down, and the responsible parties have been fined up to R26000.
Clewer residents have been holding their breath for more than two weeks for the restoration of electricity in the area.
One resident of Clewer said that some areas are still off.
“The municipality is overloaded with illegal connections, and it is hard on the grid,” the resident said.
He said that the current transformer at the substation can not supply the needed amount because the demand exceeds the supply.
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When reaching out to community members, it was made clear that theft of cables and illegal connections are the root of the struggle to restore the power supply.
“Residents of Clewer showed the Emalahleni Local Municipality some illegal connections and they arrived the following day with a team of 13 men and a woman to take off the illegal connections. Four illegal connections were taken down, and the responsible parties have been fined up to R26000,” said the community spokesperson, who wishes to stay anonymous.
“Currently, the municipality with the community and local SAPS are joining forces to tackle this huge problem. In the past year, there have been approximately 11 new truck yards erected in and around Clewer; and rooms were built to accommodate these individuals, including running water and electricity had to be connected, causing a bigger strain on the local grid,” said the community spokesperson.
When asking the community spokesperson if there is an end in sight, he said that they are taking all the necessary steps and following the needed guidelines.
However, it will take some time, and slow progress is better than none. “We are making it clear that illegal connections will be dealt with accordingly,” he concluded.
“The Clewer matter was reported to the municipality and on investigations, it was established the problem is on the utility side which was informed accordingly. The affected communities were also informed through various available platforms and their representatives. The challenge was theft and vandalism whereby the cable burnt and the feeder transformer was damaged. Both the cable and transformer have been repaired and replaced by Eskom and the electricity supply restored. It must be made clear that during this time of interruptions, the municipality has been in close contact with Eskom across all levels in ensuring swift reinstatement of electricity. The municipality did obtain feedback from some community members expressing their gratitude and appreciation of the corporation in addressing complaints pertinent to service delivery” said the municipal spokesperson Mr Lebo Mofokeng.
Read more:
https://www.citizen.co.za/witbank-news/187242/what-fine-outcome-for-cable-thief/
https://www.citizen.co.za/witbank-news/190495/cable-theft-syndicate-behind-bars/
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