Frustrated residents hand over memorandum over unstable electricity, cable theft

Residents of Finsbury and surrounding plots picketed outside the RWCLM offices to hand over a memorandum detailing struggles residents face due to cable theft.

February 28, 2023

Nonkululeko Mathebula-Maqhwara 1 minute read

Concerned residents from Finsbury and surrounding plots gathered outside the RWCLM offices to air their frustrations regarding cable theft in the area. Photo submitted.

Residents from Finsbury and surrounding plots recently took to the streets embarking on a peaceful mass march from Finsbury Park to the Rand West City Local Municipality (RWCLM) offices.

The aim was to highlight the lack of service delivery; specifically the unstable electricity supply in the area.

• Also read: Power crisis: New date announced to restore electricity supply

During the picket, residents also had a prayer session before reading out their memorandum of demands.

Concerned residents drove in a convoy from Finsbury Park to the Rand West City Local Municipality (RWCLM) offices. Photo submitted.

The memorandum detailed struggles residents face due to cable theft in the different areas which saw them being plunged into darkness recently for more than a month.

• Also read: Progress is being made in electricity crisis

Speaking during the picket, concerned resident JP de Beer said they want the municipality to act against acts of criminality where cable theft is concerned and cases opened against the perpetrators.

The criminal element is out of hand in our area. Ward 2 is being targeted by criminal syndicates that operate within our communities. This leaves us without electricity because of daily theft and damage to the infrastructure.

“Criminal cases are not being investigated by the police as no cases are being opened. The police simply cannot investigate what they do not know,” said De Beer, who also took the time to kneel and pray for the challenges they face as a community.

Meanwhile, a representative from the municipality accepted and signed the memorandum of demands during heavy police presence.