Although Eskom boasts it has not implemented load shedding for a year now the towns in the Overstrand do not agree with that statement at all. Because towns such as Botrivier, Grabouw, Betty’s Bay and neighbourhoods such as Onrus, Vermont, Fisherhaven and Hawston are regularly without electricity for days at a time, and not even just two hours per day.

It has now also emerged that vandals are playing a major role in the electricity problems, after it came to light that power poles were sawed down late last week. The municipality even offered a R5 000 reward for those who had more information regarding the vandalism.

On Monday Overstrand Municipality said they are currently dealing with a new incident of cable theft and vandalism near Karwyderskraal. “”verstrand Law Enforcement officers are investigating, and a criminal case will be opened at the Hermanus Police Station,” they stated.

Mayor Archie Klaas urges anyone who noticed any suspicious activity to report it immediately. You can contact the Anti-Fraud toll-free number on 0860 044 044, report vandalism and theft via the Municipal Citizen App under ‘electricity faults’, or call Overstrand Municipal Law Enforcement directly on 028 313 8996.

The electricity problem last week in the Overstrand Municipality also prompted mayoral candidate for the Overstrand, Clinton Lerm, to compile a petition about the dire conditions in which residents have to live.

At the time of going to press more than 6 000 residents had taken time to sign the petition.

In an interview with Hermanus Times Lerm said: “As the Overstrand mayoral candidate I started this petition because residents across the Overstrand have experienced repeated and prolonged electricity outages for years linked to Eskom infrastructure especially Eskom Direct Clients. Communities, businesses, schools, elderly residents and all aspects of life have been severely affected.

“It became clear residents needed a unified platform to demonstrate the seriousness of the situation and to elevate these concerns directly to Eskom leadership and national government.

“The petition is not against the hardworking Eskom staff on the ground; it is about highlighting the urgent need for infrastructure attention, maintenance, upgrades and long-term solutions.”

Mayoral candidate takes issue up

He said the goal of this petition is to ensure that the Overstrand’s Eskom electricity challenges receive urgent attention at the highest levels.

“We want clearer communication, stronger maintenance planning, infrastructure investment and long-term interventions to reduce the frequency and severity of outages affecting our region. The petition also serves to show the scale of public concern. Thousands of signatures demonstrate that this is not an isolated complaint, but a serious regional issue affecting the economy, tourism, livelihoods and quality of life of our residents.”

What actually surprised him the most was the fact that the residents were so patient and even had a sense of humour during the dark times. “Firstly, thank you to residents for their patience, resilience, and support during these extremely difficult outages. I understand the frustration.

“I also want residents to understand that Overstrand Municipality has no authority over Eskom infrastructure, but that does not mean we will remain silent. We will continue engaging Eskom, pushing for accountability and ensuring the concerns of our communities are heard.

“Most importantly, this issue affects everyone regardless of politics, background, or area. The petition is about standing together as a community to demand better infrastructure stability and long-term solutions for the future of the Overstrand.”

• Although it appeared the Overstrand’s problems had been resolved there were still residents of Grabouw, Botrivier and other parts of the Overberg who had been without electricity for more than a week and did not even have water. According to Eskom it was unable to provide an estimated time of repair as the extent of the damage was too severe but it was working on the problem.