The storm has taken its toll. Lives have been lost, many have been left homeless, properties have been damaged, trees have been uprooted and lives disrupted.

As municipalities across the Overberg begin with clean-up operations large areas remain without electricity and water.

Overstrand municipal area

Onrus has been without electricity since Sunday and residents are scrambling to save their frozen food.

Even the Mayco candidate for the Overstrand, Clinton Lerm, approached Facebook users to sign a petition. “I have taken note of the plight faced by residents across the Overstrand, especially regarding Eskom-related matters. It is clear a decisive and direct approach is now required to demonstrate to Eskom the seriousness of these ongoing problems.

“Overstrand, and specifically those areas receiving electricity directly from Eskom, are facing critical infrastructure challenges. Furthermore, we are not aware of a clear maintenance plan, nor whether such a plan is being properly implemented. As Overstrand Municipality has no authority over Eskom infrastructure we need to take this message directly to Eskom and ensure that the concerns of our residents are heard at the highest level.

“I therefore call on all affected residents to complete the attached petition. It will be formally submitted to the Minister of Electricity and Energy as well as the CEO of Eskom to demand urgent intervention, accountability and a clear way forward for affected communities.”

For the residents of Onrus it appears there is no light at the end of the tunnel. According to the latest information released this morning by the Overstrand Municipality the estimated time of restoration is not yet known. “Bosplasie and surrounding households are still without power. No estimated restoration time is available at this stage,” said Overstrand Municipality manager Dr Dean O’Neill.

Regarding the other areas in the Overstrand, the following are available:

* Stanford — Greater Gansbaai (municipal-direct): Eskom replaced the 66kV breaker that serves the Stanford-Gansbaai area and tried to energise it this morning, but it tripped. The Eskom team is currently in Stanford investigating the cause of the fault. “We anticipate another three hours, provided no further problems are encountered, before power can be restored to the Stanford-Gansbaai area.”

* Hermanus (municipal-direct): At 22:00 last night Eskom restored enough capacity for the municipality to switch on the remaining affected customers.

“Around 99% of Hermanus should now have power,” O’Neill said. “Some isolated streets may still be without electricity due to damaged infrastructure. These sections were isolated to restore supply to the wider area. Repair teams worked through the night and will continue attending to the remaining sections this morning.”

* Pringle Bay, Betty’s Bay, Rooi-Els (Eskom direct): Repair work is starting this morning.

Theewaterskloof municipal area

In the Theewaterskloof municipal area, residents are not only without electricity, but also without water.

Grabouw residents have helplessly taken to Facebook asking when they will get water and electricity. By this morning some neighbourhoods in Grabouw had water and electricity, but the water was, as they put it, “not even fit to flush your toilet.” The municipality confirmed the water will be brown and that it must first be flushed through. “We must first wait until the reservoirs are fuller before we can flush, otherwise we lose even more water,” a municipal official said.

Other parts of the Theewaterskloof (TWK) area, such as Myddleton, Bot River and Villiersdorp, also remain without electricity, and TWK Municipality is asking residents to be patient. “We ask for patience while technicians work to restore services as fast as possible,” it said.

Cape Agulhas

The residents of the Cape Agulhas municipal area face the same problems as those of the Overberg District.

The Cape Agulhas Municipality said in a statement this morning its residents were informed that the Eskom Farmers 1 (F1) breaker had tripped, resulting in electricity-supply interruptions affecting Suiderstrand, L’Agulhas and Elim. “Eskom teams will continue working on the Elim line today as restoration efforts continue,” it said. “The estimated time of restoration for both outages at this stage is unknown. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank residents for their patience and understanding.