For over six years, residents in Matumie Avenue have sat with a curiously incomplete cable installation.
John Barclay watched as the cables were installed under the verge across the road and fed underneath the tarmac, only to sit unconnected behind the mini substation outside his property. Barclay and his neighbours have made several inquiries over the years but no progress has been made on the final connection.
The Honeydew businessman’s latest search for a resolution was made in early June with the City Power ticket log updates leaving more questions than answers. In the space of seven minutes, progress reports on June 7 went from ‘field diagnosis complete’ to ‘repairs in progress’ to ‘job complete’ and then back to ‘allocated’ all between 18:57 and 19:04. A total of 12 updates were received that day and while Barclay had seen technicians on site, no progress has been made.
City Power was made aware of the scenario and claimed to be investigating the matter. Unofficial estimations from those close to the entity believe that the project was given the green light but once it neared completion, budget restraints put a halt to the final installation. The matter was escalated to Ward 89 councillor Leah Knott who has indicated that she would raise the matter with City Power’s CEO.
The cables are not live but Barclay noted the trepidation of those navigating the area with a fear that the lines might switch on accidentally. An additional concern is the build-up of water around the base of the min substation during the rainy seasons, compounding his agitation at the neglect and waste of valuable resources.
