Residents in parts of Pretoria North and Akasia are outraged that the area has been experiencing electricity outages lasting several hours a day over the past two weeks.
Several residents are threatening to withhold payment of their utility bills if the situation is not resolved soon.
They are also unhappy about inaccessible sidewalks.
In a letter to the Mayoral Committee Member for Housing and Human Settlements and Chairperson of Region 1, Aaron Maluleka, who handles service delivery issues, the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) stated that these service-delivery failures are unacceptable and must be resolved.
Aging infrastructure and poor maintenance of the electricity network are among the main causes of the frequent power outages, which usually occur after stormy weather.
The Freedom Front Plus insisted in the letter that the Metro make provision in its 2026/27 budget for upgrading the area’s electricity infrastructure.
The party also pointed out to Maluleka that the sidewalks in Pretoria North and Akasia pose a safety risk to pedestrians, so, the paving has to be repaired or replaced.
It is unfair that residents pay rates and taxes yet regularly experience infrastructure failures. Many people work from home and need electricity to do so sustainably.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep pressuring the Metro – and especially Maluleka – to address the situation and ensure that the area’s power supply is fully restored.
