Mngomezulu Street barricaded off with tyres as protesters voice their discontent with the Lekwa Municipality.
UPDATE: 14 May – 7.50pm
It seems like the situation has been defused as most protesters have left the scene.
The Standerton Advertiser will keep residents updated if anything new transpires.
UPDATE: 14 May – 7.19pm
Our journalist reports that protesters are dispersing:
“Apparently the rain might play a role.”
“The electricity has however been turned back on again.”
The Advertiser also received new information via a source:
Receiving sub at Hlongwane Street was on fire.
Electricians and Firefighters have apparently arrived.
The damage will be assessed.
The whole of Sakhile is affected.
Ms Thobeka Mtshiselwa, Lekwa Communications Manager, first said that the message was not sent by the Lekwa Communications Unit, but later confirmed there was a problem:
“We got the report from the community and we appreciate that they informed us.
“Our team attended to the matter.
“Electricians are attending to the matter.”
14 May – 7pm
A group of about 50 protesters just blocked off Mngomezulu Street near Sakhile Stadium due to the electricity outage moments ago.
The following message from Lekwa Municipality followed subsequently:
Caution to Lekwa Community. Please note that electricity is tripping due to overload.
Residents are advised and requested to switch off appliances not on use (switch off geyser and reduce usage of heaters).
The network cannot take the load. Please save electricity (Lekwa Communications)
Tyres were burnt last night during a protest over a power outage that affected most residents.
According to our journalist on the scene, Mr Dumisani Zwane, picketers are challenging police officer to shoot them with rubber bullets, like they allegedly did last night, however, there is currently no police on the scene.
“Motorists are being sworn at and forced to take alternate routes,” Mr Zwane said.
In the meanwhile, Ms Thobeka Mtshiselwa, Lekwa Communications Manager, released the following statement via the Lekwa Municipality’s Facebook Page:
We are experiencing very high electricity use, the network is threatened.
We request geysers and other heavy users to be switched off to reduce the over use.
Lessen electricity heater use.
If nothing is done, the network will trip on it’s own.
A screenshot from Lekwa Municipality’s Facebook Page.
Wayne van der Walt, with around 15 years in the media industry, is editor of Highvelder Newspaper. His accolades include Frewin Awards for Newspaper of the Year and Front Page of the Year, and FCJ Photographer of the Year, among other honours.
