Resident furious with municipality after solar system was destroyed
A resident from Bela-Bela, Steven de Villiers, an electrician by trade, is furious after a municipal technician allegedly caused damage to his solar power system in 2021 and left his property in Van der Merwe Street without power for close to a year.
“In June last year, municipal technicians visited my property to inspect why I haven’t been purchasing municipal power. I have a prepaid municipal meter, as well as an alternative solar system. Both systems cannot be switched on at the same time.”
He claims that the technicians had, during their visit, switched on the municipal power while the solar unit was still operating.
A surge of electricity ran through his property causing a major overload of power that the solar system was not able to handle.
“The burning smell that lingered on the property was the same as when you would hotwire a car battery. Every solar component and wiring was destroyed. The wiring in the house was hot to the touch and I am glad I was able to isolate the risk of fire breaking out.”
The property has since been without a proper electricity supply. De Villiers said that they were forced to run on a generator since 2021.
The running cost is close to R30 000 a month, he said. The prepaid meter has not been replaced in over 10 months, with the wiring still exposed.
“I have been an electrician for many years and I know my system was built according to the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) requirements. I am disgusted with the work ethics of the technicians of the municipality. If they truly have the skills, they would know how to conduct their work.”
De Villiers said he has since put in a claim for damages at the municipality but has to date received no feedback.
“No phone calls and e-mails to them had any response. I cannot keep up with the monthly bills for an extended time. My cost of living is becoming unaffordable the longer the municipality continues to ignore my pleas.”
He attempted to open a case of damage to property at the Bela-Bela police station last week. He is also seeking alternative avenues to address the problem.
“I demand answers. The municipality must know that the longer they wait to replace my damaged system, the prices for infrastructure are increasing and outstanding interest will get the better of the situation.”
- The Post sent inquiries to both the municipal manager, as well as the communication department at the municipality, but received no feedback before going to press.
