The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) is deeply concerned about the unacceptable situation affecting residents in Eskom-supplied areas of the City of Cape Town, who are experiencing regular and prolonged power outages.
Residents – some of whom have been without electricity for months – approach the party for help every single day.
Delft, Blue Downs, Malibu, Eersterivier, Elsiesrivier and Bishop Lavis are among the worst affected areas. For many families that are already under severe financial pressure, these outages result in food and medical supplies being lost while severely disrupting their daily lives.
One of the most poignant cases, recently handled by the Freedom Front Plus, involved a family in Blue Downs with a child who has special needs and relies on a medical ventilator. After persistent follow-ups and constant engagement with Eskom management, technicians were finally dispatched to restore their power supply.
This is not a new problem. For quite some time, the Freedom Front Plus has been spearheading the search for a sustainable solution and has repeatedly called on the City of Cape Town to facilitate the process of transferring Eskom-supplied areas to the City’s Energy Directorate.
Meanwhile, the situation has gotten progressively worse with power outages occurring more frequently and lasting longer.
Several months ago, during a council meeting, the party requested that Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, City Manager Lungelo Mbandazayo and the Energy Directorate’s management take decisive action to address the issue.
The City was requested to declare an intergovernmental dispute with the national government to expedite the process.
In the interim, thousands of families are paying the price for a failing system.
The party will not let the matter rest, but will keep assisting residents of Eskom-supplied areas and pressuring the Executive to transfer the remaining 25% of Eskom-supplied areas to the City of Cape Town as soon as possible.
Cape Town residents deserve access to reliable electricity supply and an administration that does not hesitate to act when confronted by a problem.
