Substation – but no power

Even though they live right next to a local power substation, some residents in Nellmapius extension 24, Pretoria, say they have been without electricity for five years now.

The residents were excited in 2015 when the Tshwane metro handed them their RDP houses – but they have been waiting for electricity ever since then.

Resident Johannes Kokela said it was disappointing because their houses were not far from a local substation.

“The substation is supposed to supply the area with electricity but instead, the metro decides to install electricity cables to residents of Spook Park, also in extension 24, an area that was only developed in 2018,” said Kokela.

“It’s sad because about 40% of the RDP beneficiaries are people living with various disabilities.

“Every day it’s a struggle here without electricity because we have to cook with paraffin stoves and sometimes make firewood to cook for our children,” said Kokela.

Patricia Malungane, 38, said with winter approaching, they will freeze without electricity.

“Nobody cares about us, even our ward councillor does not care about us,” said Malungane.

“Last year, four houses here in Nellmapius burnt down because of unattended candle lights.”

She said due to Covid-19 regulations they had to work from home using laptops, but it was impossible to work “because we don’t have any electricity”.

Kokela said handing over a memorandum of grievances to Tshwane in February did not help.

“We gave them 14 working days to respond and there has been no answer.”

The memorandum was followed up yesterday, to no avail.

Residents are planning a strike should no one come and address them about the issue.

The Tshwane metro had yet to comment by the time of publication.