Grootvlei sit sedert 14 Februarie sonder krag en inwoners en veral besigheidseienaars wat hul rekeninge getrou betaal, is moedeloos.
‘n Besigheidseienaar sê hy is raadop aangesien sy fabriek (wat staalprodukte aan myne en ook aan die buiteland voorsien) reeds vyf dae stilstaan. Sy produksie het van 40 ure per week na nege ure die afgelope week gekrimp.
Inwoners en veral pensioenarisse sê hulle moes alle bederfbare kos weggooi en in die huidige ekonomiese toestand kan niemand dit bekostig nie.
Betogers het ook die burgemeester van Dipaleseng Plaaslike Munisipaliteit (DPM) Mafunda Makhubu gevange gehou nadat hy hulle in Schoonplaas wou gaan toespreek. Hy moes later onder polisiebegeleiding na veiligheid geneem word.
Betogers het op 24 Februarie na die munisipale kantore in Balfour opgeruk. Die burgemeester het in ‘n verklaring gesê dat hulle die gebou ingestorm en munisipale werkers gedreig en aangerand het. Hulle het ook glo van die amptenare en raadslede aangehou.
Makhubu het gesê dat die munisipaliteit besig is om met Eskom oor die situasie te onderhandel. Hier is sy amptelike verklaring:
The municipality has three Eskom electricity supply points which provides electricity to the municipality’s three towns namely Balfour/Siyathemba, Greylingstad/Nthoroane and Grootvlei. Electricity supply to Balfour/Siyathemba and Greylingatad/Nthoroane is still within the contractual limits however supply to Grootvlei from the Eskom point has exceeded contractual limit in the Notified Maximum Demand (NMD). The rotational power supply is due to increase in the NMD that the Municipality was receiving from Eskom, which Eskom is now restricting. This situation is further compounded by the load shedding implemented by Eskom country wide.
The municipality has engaged with Eskom regarding to the matter. An application letter for a limit increase was sent to Eskom on 7 December 2018. Eskom responded with a budget quote on 13 December 2018 citing a condition of payment within 14 days. The municipality could not honour the payment within the said period, due to financial constraints.
Eskom issued a notice to the municipality on December 11 notifying the municipality on its intention to limit electricity supply to Grootvlei. The electricity supply was reduced to contractual NMD on February 15. The municipality upon realizing that the limit in NMD was affected, issued a public notice on the implementation of internal rotational load shedding to the different sections of Grootvlei due to overloading of the system until the application for an increase has been approved.
On February 19 the municipal electricity team undertook an exercise to remove illegal connections in both formal and informal areas as this was another cause of the overloading of the electricity system in Grootvlei. However, the team could not carry on with the planned activity as they were intimidated, disrupted and prevented from effecting the internal rotational load shedding as per schedule.
At this point in time, the municipality still cannot yield to the community’s demand as the system is already overloaded. The SAPS has been approached to assist with law enforcement in the area more importantly the protection of lives and property as the situation continues to be tense on the ground.
It is also worth mentioning that the reduced electricity supply is affecting many other operations such as those at the sewer plants in Grootvlei.
The municipality is committed to finding amicable solutions to this problem and would like to urge affected community members to refrain from the utilisation of intimidation and violence as means of addressing the matter.
****
Phindile Sidu (woordvoerder) van DPM het gesê dat die munisipaliteit weer vanoggend (26 Februarie) gepoog het om die elektrisiteitstoevoer aan te skakel, maar dat dit bly uitskop.
Dit blyk nou dat daar ‘n fout op die toevoerlyne na Grootvlei is. Tegnici is tans besig om aan die probleem aandag te gee. Intussen word dié dele wat nie die toevoer laat uitskop nie, aangeskakel.
Lees die vorige berig hier:
