Rotten food that must be thrown away, damaged appliances, and taking out loans to buy bread and paraffin are but some of the challenges facing the township people from Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, following an electricity outage that has lasted since Sunday, April 17.
No formal communication has been released by Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality about the electricity outage.
Local resident, Buyi Mgolodela, said the situation was frustrating.
“The fridge has been off since Sunday and food is getting rotten. We don’t know what’s wrong with the electricity and when it will be back. This makes it difficult to plan,” said Mgolodela.
“There is no communication from the municipality. If my child was to have a problem at school, the school would not be able to contact me because my phone’s battery is flat and there is no way that it can be charged.”
Mgolodela said she has to use cold water to wash her child and that it was difficult getting extra money for paraffin and candles.
Another resident, Noluthando Sizani said, “We have to go around taking out loans to buy bread, paraffin and candles. Our appliances are getting damaged owing to these outages.”
Sivile Majara, a local youth, said possibilities of missing out on job interviews were high, as phones’ batteries had run down.
“It is difficult to function under these circumstances. We wear wrinkled clothes, and have to eat bread and drink cold drinks. It is hopeless,” he said.
Darlington Muziti said, “To avoid throwing away meat we have to cook meat meant for the month in a couple of days. This is an inconvenience that creates more problems for us.”
Some people have to walk between 4km and 7km to relatives and friends’ houses to charge their cellphones and people who work from home are struggling.
Some have WiFi in their homes but have had to get extra money, through loans, to buy data to fulfil their responsibilities.
Unathi Gqogqonyeka angrily told the Komani Karoo Express that it was difficult washing children with cold water in the cold Komani mornings.
“This municipality doesn’t care. We pay for services and we vote but now no one cares. Our phones are dead, I don’t even know what time it is as I sit here,” she added.
Residents said that while outages were an inconvenience, communication from the municipality would ease their pain.
