The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) has challenged the Mayor of the Emfuleni Local Municipality, Mr Sipho Radebe, to visit the Town substation, which has been out of service for over six days, and address the questions of residents who gather there daily.
A fire broke out at the Town substation on 18 June, affecting power supply to areas such as Bonanne, Bophelong and Stephanopark in Vanderbijlpark.
This is the fourth fire at the substation since 2018 – the Freedom Front Plus replaced the roof, in collaboration with local businesses, in 2018 and 2024.
Residents have been approaching the Freedom Front Plus councillor, who visits the substation daily, seeking more information about the repair process.
Late last Friday afternoon, approximately 192 affected residents gathered at the park on Goodyear Street, Vanderbijlpark, to voice their frustrations and demand answers. The Municipality promised that repairs would be completed by Sunday evening, but this did not happen.
On Monday evening, a group of residents confronted the Freedom Front Plus councillor about when power would be restored, requiring police intervention to manage the crowd.
It is unacceptable that community members are confronting councillors about the ongoing issues at the substation, while the mayor is conspicuous by his absence and makes no effort to engage with the community.
The Freedom Front Plus has already lodged a formal complaint with the Municipal Manager, Mr April Ntuli, demanding that the substation be repaired to minimise power outages. So far, there has been no response from the Municipal Manager.
The party will keep putting pressure on the Department of Energy to ensure the Town substation is repaired as soon as possible. Currently, residents are paying the price for the Municipality’s mismanagement.
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