Electricity was finally restored on the afternoon of 14 January at the Fountain Kids Pre-school, in Fontainebleau after it had been without electricity for over six days.
The outage was allegedly caused by a contractor from Joburg Water who was replacing the old pipe on the line where the electric cables, which connect electricity to the school, are situated.
The plight severely affected the daily operations at the school and it worsened when City Power failed to urgently repair the cables .
Gabi Lunkwitz from Fountain Kids complained that they had to throw away the school’s monthly groceries and they had to use small gas stoves to prepare meals for the children.
She said logging a complaint with City Power was so frustrating. “Today (14 January) the children also kept complaining that they could not listen to bunny music,” she added.
The Fountain Kids maintenance officer Klaas Kekana said officials from City Power initially visited the area on 12 January and emphasised they would come back with tools.
“They did not come back that day. They only returned on Wednesday (13 January) and switched off the circuit breaker and promised that they would replace the damaged cable,” he elaborated.
Ward 104 Councillor Mike Wood explained that communication with City Power was indeed frustrating. “Our phones have become the entity’s call centre with residents seeking assistance,” he said.
He further indicated that there were not enough resources and tools at the Randburg Depo.
“They do not have enough staff to handle the whole area and they are reluctant to give us feedback,” he concluded.
Attie van Staden from the communication office at City Power only confirmed by the evening of 14 January that the power had been restored. “The supply cable was damage by a third party contractor and was repaired and power is restored,” said Van Staden
Details: City Power, 011 490 7607; Ward 104 Councillor Mike Wood, 082 853 2174.
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