The Melville Pre-primary and Baby Centre was without power from the morning of 23 June till the morning of 1 July. After numerous complaints to City Power, with the issue not being resolved, school principal Linda Villarini was at her wits end.
“We have [about] 60 children here,” said Villarini. “It’s an old Melville property, with high ceilings and wooden floors. In the early mornings and late afternoons, when the parents drop off or collect their kids, it is absolutely freezing. We had no heating, no lighting, our security was severely compromised, and the safety of our kids was put at risk. Ordinarily we would buzz parents in at the main gate, but without power, we would have to go outside to unlock and lock the gate manually, leaving the children temporarily unattended.”
After a week, City Power eventually sent out a sub-contractor to investigate what the problem could be. “The technician disconnected a wire and suddenly we had power again,” said Villarini. “It took him two minutes, literally. What really angers me is the fact that it took City Power seven days to respond to our complaint, and only two minutes for this guy to fix it.”
Questions were sent to City Power spokesperson Sydney Mphahlele, and comment is awaited.
