Committee considers DA’s electricity petition
The petition was a call to action to ELM and Eskom to take action in ensuring the installation of transformers in various areas where residents have at times spent years without electricity.
VEREENIGING. – It seems the electricity petition submitted by the Democratic Alliance on behalf of residents of Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) will soon be acted upon.
This follows consideration by the Select Committee on Petitions and Executive Undertakings.
A meeting was held on Wednesday 01 October by the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Eskom, ELM, Member of Parliament Dennis Ryder, and Democratic Alliances MPL Kingsol Chabalala.
Following the meeting, the committee has called for electricity challenges in ELM to be prioritized and lasting solutions to the problem be found. Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, Chabalala said he was optimistic that things would begin turning in the right direction.
“The meeting was fruitful, it seems that electricity woes in the Vaal will soon be a thing of the past.”
Chabalala was one of the people who were at the forefront in the formation of the petition, submitted to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). The petition was a call to action to Emfuleni Local Municipality and Eskom to take action in ensuring the installation of transformers in various areas where residents have at times spent years without electricity.
“While we ask that our government acts in ensuring that electricity infrastructure is installed in our communities, we ask that members of the community seize illegal connections and stop any kind of vandalism to the infrastructure.”
Chabalala urged residents to continue buying electricity.
In a statement, the committee expressed its frustrations at the lack of urgency from stakeholders such as Ekom, COGTA, and the ELM in trying to find solutions to electricity problems for the people of Emfuleni. T
he committee further noted that there are huge problems related to ailing infrastructure compounded by illegal connections. The committee further expressed concerns that the municipality is losing R1.3 billion annually as a result of water and electricity losses.
Eskom representatives told the committee that they are in the process of replacing faulty and damaged transformers.
“However, the committee heard that in some cases transformers fail repeatedly because electricity meter boxes are continuously bypassed and illegal electricity connections persist. The committee recommends that Eskom work together with councilors to ensure that residents pay for their electricity into the right accounts and update them on progress replacing faulty transformers.”
