Dark winter awaits some Sowetans
“We have lost at least seven elderly people in our community who were sick from pneumonia from the cold and medicine not being stored right."
Residents in Zola and Emndeni South who remain without electricity may brace themselves for a cold winter in the dark.
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This is four months after Gauteng, Premier Panyaza Lesufi and government officials visited the area in January, however they wait in bated breath hoping to get new mini subs installed by Eskom.
For 124 houses situated along Sibeko street, Zola 3 this is not a new occurrence as they have been without electricity since 2021 while another section in the same ward, Emmdeni South near Matla Crèche, marked five months without electricity affecting 109 houses.
Both communities currently have challenges pertaining to mini subs, with one community illegally acquiring and installing a mini sub which affected two neighbouring schools and the other which Eskom declared it dead due to damaged circuit breakers and cables, also needing to be replaced.
Residents painted a gloomy picture of the struggles they continue to face.
They further add that the issue has also contributed to an increase of crime cases that include robbery and stolen properties.
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Mfanafuthi Mazibuko from Zola said it was an awful two years for his residency. He cited that crime levels in both communities were due to the electricity.
He is among the residents who said the electricity issue was to blame for the significant drop of matric pass rate at BW Vilakazi Secondary School.
“We have lost at least seven elderly people in our community who were sick from pneumonia from the cold and medicine not being stored right.
“Paraffin is expensive and Insulin needs to be stored in a fridge while oxygen tanks need electricity so it’s been hard. Residents are slowly paying as we all want this issue resolved.”
Another resident, Khumo Moenakoena, from Emndeni South added, “Winter is creeping in and we still don’t have electricity however we are hopeful and we’ve been pushing our community because this can’t be the sole responsibility of his alone.
“Our Cllr has been supportive and has engaged with community members, we all want to see this nightmare end.”
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Eskom conducted a sales assessment and issued fines and an agreement of down payment of R500 in each house citing that a threshold of 60% needed to be reached in order for mini boxes to be installed.
Ward 52 Cllr, Thapelo Radebe says they are working around the clock to ensure that residents are reconnected.
“Residents are in that process, we introduced two forms of interventions for those who would not be able to pay those monies. 1, come forward if you are unable to pay and Eskom will do an arrangement and 2, pay in portions up until you reach that down payment.”
According to the Cllr, both sections have reached the required threshold by Eskom, which will allow the ordering of the new box from the utility to get underway.
He said while it’s been long, he commanded the residents who have been pushing members to make payment.
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“We have begun the process of acquiring that box, but the residents who are yet to pay need to know that they will not be getting electricity up until they make those down payments. The only ones who will be exempt are the ones who came forward,” he warned.
Eskom will embark on a process of normalisation on the small split meters and clean up. In that process, they will connect the houses that have paid.
“We are advising that they pay so that when that process of normalisation gets underway, they are connected,” he added.
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