ON the eve of this year’s national elections, residents of Dumisani Makhaya Village held on to a flicker of hope that they would for the first time in six years have electricity.
However, four months after pre-election promises, ‘Dark City’ remains just that.
Municipal officials, Councillors and residents gathered in May for the first on site electrification visit at the village with the newly appointed contractor, where working electricity connections were promised for July.
According to Dumisani Makhaya Village resident Senzo Mbatha, their electrification plight persists and residents continue to rely on gas cylinders and paraffin lamps.
‘Our people are angry because we feel they were just canvassing for our votes,’ said Mbatha.
‘We see Eskom vehicles and workers in the streets but we have not yet been formally addressed as to why they have not kept their promise to us. We have been in darkness since 2008, how much longer?’
Dumisani Makhaya has been christened many names such as ‘Veg City’ and ‘Canned Food City’ since without electricity residents are left to eat canned foods and raw vegetables.
