I hope this email finds you well. I’m sure you are aware that the Roodepoort area has been suffering from rolling blackouts and constant loss of water.
Regarding the water, we went without water for three days, which cost my family two geysers in a matter of one week. This is money we do not have, and Joburg Water will not assist, or pay for the repairs needed. When we asked the councillor what was going on, we were told that it’s a burst pipe and they are fixing it.
This has been going on since they started with the repairs on the sewer lines. When there is a water stoppage in areas like Alexandra, Soweto and Kagiso, a water tanker is dispatched for the community to get water. We have never been offered any service like this and feel that because Roodepoort is still deemed “a white community”, we do not get the same services from our government as the other communities.
Regarding the electricity, in a matter of three weeks we have had seven power failures. Each time we ask about it, we get told that our transformers are old and need to be upgraded or that there was a trip at the main power station. I was informed by an ex-City Power employee that the substation on our street is in fact an upgrade and not an old station as we are being told.
I’m an entrepreneur who relies on internet access, electricity and water in order to make an income. I can lose up to R2 500 for each day that I cannot do my work.
On behalf of the Roodepoort community, I am requesting a full investigation into what is going on as City Power, City of JHB, JHB Water, Councillor Gert Niemand and also Mayor Herman Mashaba are not giving answers. I feel that as the community who elected these people into power, we deserve to know what the truth is and what is going on.
