Ivory Park residents weigh election boycott amid transformer woes

Residents of Ivory Park, a community grappling with a lengthy power outage since December 2023 due to a damaged transformer, find themselves in a frustrating predicament. With no resolution in sight and lacking communication from Eskom, they confront daily challenges living without electricity.

This situation has led some residents to contemplate boycotting the upcoming elections, questioning the necessity of participating in a democratic process when basic necessities are not being addressed.

The extended power outage has presented the community with various difficulties, ranging from safety worries to financial struggles.

Despite numerous requests for help and updates, residents claim that Eskom has chosen not to provide any information about the condition of the damaged transformer, worsening the situation for the residents.

One of the residents, Pamela Shabalala, said that they have been living without electricity for months and Eskom’s lack of communication is even worse.

“Why should we vote for leaders who don’t prioritise our basic needs? We are struggling as a community and winter is approaching with my kids in the dark. It’s a constant worry, especially as the cold sets in,” said Shabalala.

The feeling of disappointment is strongly felt throughout the community, with many reflecting Shabalala’s feelings. The lack of electricity has not only disrupted everyday routines, but has also had negative impacts on education and economic pursuits.

Gogo Maseko added that she has a chronic disease, which requires refrigeration for her medication.

“Without electricity, I am forced to find alternative solutions to keep my medication safe and effective. It’s a daily struggle, compounding the already overwhelming challenges we face.

“We are not just asking for electricity, we are also demanding the basic services we’re entitled to as citizens. We won’t rest until our voices are heard, and action is taken to resolve this crisis,” said Gogo Maseko.

She further added that she can’t even afford a gas stove – her grandchildren go to school without bathing in hot water and their teachers complain that they don’t even have clean school uniforms. “How can I iron their uniforms without electricity?”

Amid the ongoing darkness in Ivory Park, residents, including business owner Nomsa Mthombeni, stand firm in their determination, unwilling to be silenced or overlooked.

“I sell at school and I can’t expand my business as I wish because there’s no electricity. It’s not just about my business, it’s about providing for my family. The lack of electricity makes everything harder, from earning a living to ensuring my children have what they need.

“The damaged transformer has been a nightmare for us. It’s disrupted our operations, causing significant financial losses and uncertainty about the future. We desperately need a solution to this problem.”

Mthombeni shared how her tenants left after the transformer damage, and she has been struggling with supporting her children.

“Our voices matter, and we won’t be silenced. By boycotting the elections, we’re sending a clear message that we demand accountability and action from our leaders,” said Mthombeni.

The ongoing power outage doesn’t just affect residents, it’s also hitting local businesses hard. Whether they’re small shops or larger companies, they’re all feeling the impact.

Mama Madonsela said that without electricity, they can’t serve customers, handle transactions, or keep essential services running. This has led to big financial losses and a lot of uncertainty about what’s to come.

“I own a crèche and am grappling with intensified challenges. The damaged transformer has dealt a severe blow to my livelihood, resulting in significant income loss. We’re all feeling the effects of the damaged transformer. It’s not just about the inconvenience, it’s affecting people’s livelihoods and businesses,” said Madonsela.

Eskom spokesperson Amanda Qithi highlighted a notable increase in transformer and mini-substation failures recently. She said the surge is primarily attributed to network overloading, triggered by various factors including purchasing electricity tokens from illegal “ghost” vendors, non-payment of bills, illegal connections, meter tampering, unauthorised activities on the electricity network, and vandalism or theft of electrical equipment.

“As part of the process to replace the failed electricity equipment, Eskom conducts network audits and customers who are found to have bypassed or tampered with their meters, and conducted illegal electricity activities are issued with a remedial charge.

“It is required that 60% of customers that have been issued with remedial charges on the same supply point make upfront payment before the process to replace the failed electricity infrastructure. The 60% threshold required has been reached in this area and the replacement process has been initiated.”

Qithi added that the customers from Ivory Park Extension 2 have been kept up to date on the progress of their transformer and are also aware of the replacement process mentioned above as they have paid the required initial amount and reached the 60% threshold.

“Eskom has put certain measures in place to prevent equipment failure as a result of illegal activities mentioned above. We are also converting customers from post-paid to prepaid meters, to assist them so that they are able to manage their own consumption and pay for the electricity they use.

“We conduct education and awareness on the safe use of electricity and the importance of using it wisely in order to alleviate overloading on the network. We also conduct network audits, remove illegal connections and disconnect customers found to have bypassed or tempered with their meters as these acts overload the network and result in outages and equipment failures.

“The transformer is currently being installed and we estimate that all work will be completed and supply restored by 17 May 2024. Eskom will continue to give updates to the community,” said Qithi.

Eskom urges customers to buy electricity from registered vendors and to contact the Eskom Crime Line number 0800 11 27 22 or SAPS if they see anyone tampering with the electricity infrastructure.

The Star

nobukhosi.tshabalala@inl.co.za