Loadshedding
Residents in two Johannesburg suburbs share impact of extended power outages
Residents in various Johannesburg suburbs have shared their pain and frustration as extended power outages continue to plague their areas, leaving them in the dark for hours and even days. According to TimesLIVE, suburbs such as Bromhof and Montgomery Park have been particularly affected, with outages lasting anywhere from 12 to 120 hours in recent weeks. City Power has attributed these prolonged power cuts to cable theft and vandalism, exacerbating the dire situation.
One resident, Jeff Levin of Bromhof, expressed his firsthand experience of the debilitating power outages. He described a recent incident where the power went off for load-shedding and never returned, leaving residents without electricity for 46 hours. Then, after a brief restoration, the power again went out on Saturday morning, leaving them without power for approximately 57 hours and counting. Levin voiced his frustration over the lack of communication from City Power. He accused them of providing false information regarding the causes and estimated restoration times.
The impact of these extended power cuts on the affected communities has been devastating. Families have had to discard spoiled food, struggle to prepare meals, and face difficulties adequately caring for their children and elderly residents. Levin highlighted the tragic consequences of the outages, mentioning instances where people in his complex, including a young girl and an elderly lady reliant on an oxygen inverter, have suffered due to the lack of power. In addition, the situation has left residents feeling neglected and desperate, unable to afford necessities and enjoy even the simplest comforts like a cup of tea or a hot meal.
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Residents have considered staging protests in response to the ongoing outages and the broader issue of poor service delivery. A recent demonstration occurred before the Roosevelt substation. Montgomery Park and Roosevelt Park residents voiced their grievances regarding the neglect and lack of investment in their areas over the past decade. Michael O’Donovan, one of the residents, highlighted the deteriorating infrastructure, including potholes, water leaks, and electricity breakdowns, as evidence of the neglect. Rather than load shedding, the outages served as the tipping point for residents whose rates increased while receiving minimal improvements.
City Power confirmed the outages and attributed them to cable theft, a problem plaguing the area. The entity acknowledged the frustration and assured residents that it had restored power. Bromhof ward councillor Ralf Bittkau acknowledged the prevalence of cable theft and vandalism, noting that this was the third time in two weeks that such incidents had caused lengthy power outages. Efforts are underway to address the cable theft issue and restore power immediately.
The extended power outages and the subsequent frustration expressed by residents highlight the urgent need for effective measures to combat cable theft and improve service delivery in the affected Johannesburg suburbs. The power supply has been temporarily restored, but the underlying issues persist, demanding the attention and action of relevant authorities to prevent such prolonged outages from recurring.
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Picture: Facebook / ET Rapid Response
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