Residents come together to help municipal workers in time of crisis
The community united in a show of togetherness.
In an effort short of a miraculous show of ubuntu, Daggafontein residents rallied to help municipal workers.
With Springs thrown into bouts of darkness, Daggafontein and Nuffield South experienced a blackout on Thursday evening.
“Due to the policy of 40-hour overtime restriction being enforced by the metro, work could only begin on Saturday morning. The cable was exceptionally deep and had fibre cables running above,” said Ward 76 Clr Mike du Toit.
The situation was unique because it meant they couldn’t use mechanical diggers. The municipal workers resorted to digging manually.
“The digging was still ongoing as night fell on Saturday. Three of our biggest industries in Springs were at a standstill, and most of Daggafontein and Edelweiss had no electricity,” added Du Toit.
It was insisted that the work continued until the job was complete.
Also read: Electricity woes worsen in Daggafontein
“I visited the site several times throughout the day. At 18:30, I found the labourers working under shocking conditions with their phones’ torch lights.
“I sent out WhatsApp messages to the community groups, and in no time, the residents of Daggafontein arrived with torches and lamps of all sizes and generators to light up the site and allow the work to continue,” he said.
The community stood firm and united in times of crisis.
It was around 03:30 when they completed the work and the site cleaned.
Residents also took to social media to express their pride in the community’s efforts.
Roos Trindade, a resident of Daggafontein, penned a short letter to The Advertiser applauding his community’s efforts.
“Daggafontein was without electricity from Thursday 20:30 till Sunday 07:45. Instead of complaining, I want to explain how thankful I am to be part of the Daggafontein community.
“It warms my heart to see how the community stood together,” wrote Trindade.
“I thank the residents for their spirit and efforts and a special thank you to Distell for donating food that fed the workers,” said Du Toit.
