Let’s bypass the municipality

I am sure by now you are swamped with complaints from local residents about the on-going load-shedding and water issues in Randfontein and surrounding areas.

My problem is the following: it seems to me that no one is going to do anything about it and as a Randfontein resident for the past 37 years, this has reached a level where we can’t take it any longer. Someone needs to step up, speak up and get things done! We simply cannot continue like this.

We are tired of hearing that Eskom is the problem, or that they are busy with maintenance.

This is no longer acceptable to us, the residents. We are all human, and can understand that we will have load-shedding from time to time, but three times a day is just absolutely ridiculous! What is the reason for this, how long will this continue and what is the solution to the problem?

Why should we as residents suffer; we are paying customers. Why can’t we implement the following;

Let’s pay Eskom directly and bypass the municipality. That way paying customers can at least have electricity.

What is the actual use of the municipality if they can’t supply us with electricity?

I find it very unfair that certain areas are being left without electricity for seven and eight hours some days, and without water.

We have noticed that some days we don’t have cellphone signal due to Eskom’s load-shedding, but some days we have full signal during unscheduled load-shedding. This means that it is not Eskom but the municipality that is implementing their own load-shedding for reasons unknown.

What about the residents who can’t afford candles, gas and gas stoves to cook for their families, etc?

This is South Africa and this is a reality! Some can’t afford it.

I am a parent of a five-month-old baby. No electricity and no water become a major issue as we need water to make bottles and water to bath them.

Crime and house break-ins will rise, and our lives will be in danger. This is a fact and not speculation.

I took it upon myself to ask my fellow Randfontein residents how they feel about the issues at hand, as not everyone has access to social media platforms. I gave my personal email address for these complaints to be sent to in writing (23 pages), and I then put them together (available online at www.randfonteinherald.co.za).

Herald is the voice of Randfontein, and the only way we can express our concerns.