Residents of Zithobeni Heights, who have endured years without access to electricity, face further delays after a project aimed at electrifying at least 2 000 homes has stalled for over three years.
In 2022, residents took to the streets to protest the severe lack of basic services, including electricity and water.
Their frustration was expressed after being relocated from Transnet-owned land and severely waterlogged informal settlements, only to be forced to wait for basic services for years.
Ward 105 local councillor Kgaugelo Phiri said the electrification project is being implemented in phases.
The first phase, which aimed to electrify 500 homes, was initially scheduled for completion last year but missed its deadline. The second phase, set to connect 1 500 houses to the grid, is also pending.
Despite the setbacks, he remains optimistic that the project will soon resume, particularly after a member of the mayoral committee for Utility Services in the City of Tshwane, Frans Boshielo, conducted an oversight visit to assess the situation this week.
There were speculations that the project’s stalling may have arisen from non-payment issues involving contractors.
Phiri said: “There are always challenges when contractors are not paid but this time I don’t think it was about payment because the contractor is still on site. He talked about unavailability of material which the city disputed but the MMC for Utilities said he will get a comprehensive report on that on Thursday.”
He lamented the significant financial losses incurred by the city due to repeated project stoppages, which created opportunities for thieves to steal installed cables and other components, resulting in losses amounting to millions of rand.
He stated that the project was intended to support the city’s initiative to expand electricity access and connect more residents to the grid.
“We need to have more people to be connected to the grid so that they could be able to buy electricity, which will bolster the city’s revenue,” he said.
The electrification project aligns with an initiative led by Tshwane Deputy Mayor Eugene Modise, which involves installing electricity meters in informal settlements and certain RDP houses that have been illegally connected to the grid, aiming to combat electricity theft.
After taking office, Modise said: “The first thing that we are going to do is to ensure that the revenue collection is upgraded and all our people get services. There are many informal settlements and RDP houses that don’t have electricity and we are losing revenue in the process because they are stealing electricity.”
According to him, installing power meters in informal settlements would not only provide a new revenue stream, but also help curb electricity theft.
Attempts to contact Boshielo for comment were unsuccessful.
The city has not yet provided a response to media inquiries about the project delays. This article will be updated once their response is received.