The ongoing and escalating electricity crisis in the Ekurhuleni Metro – which has been affecting residents and businesses across the Metro since the beginning of January – is unacceptable.
In many cases, outages lasted days before any repairs were done.
The fact that almost every major town in the Metro has been affected underscores the extent of the crisis.
Kempton Park was hardest hit, as large parts of the CBD and surrounding neighbourhoods were repeatedly left without power. Likewise, Boksburg, Brakpan, Benoni, Alberton, Germiston, Nigel, Edenvale and Springs have also experienced prolonged and repeated outages.
In truth, the main question is no longer which areas are experiencing power outages, but rather which areas have been spared.
The root causes of this crisis include ageing infrastructure, years of little to no maintenance, cable theft and organised syndicates, illegal connections, uncontrolled load increases and reductions, as well as Eskom-related supply issues.
This is not an unforeseen problem, but the direct result of constant maladministration and dereliction, particularly within Ekurhuleni’s Energy Department.
The Freedom Front Plus notes City Manager Kagiso Lerutla’s so-called “Fixing the Frontline” initiative.
While any effort to stabilise essential service delivery is welcomed, the party remains sceptical about the Metro’s ability to effectively address the electricity crisis.
Residents and businesses do not need catchy slogans – they need a reliable electricity network, functioning infrastructure, visible action against theft and accountable leadership.
The Metro has failed to fulfil its legal obligation to consistently and reliably supply electricity to residents, while tariffs keep climbing year in and year out.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep demanding accountability, oversight and immediate remedial action to restore dignity, safety and reliable essential service delivery in Ekurhuleni.
