- Residents of Ruyterwacht are facing significant power outages, causing frustration and concern within the community.
- Ward councillor Chris Jordaan has been actively working with Eskom to address the issue, but residents remain dissatisfied with the prolonged disruptions.
- The lack of effective communication and solutions has led to increased frustration, particularly among vulnerable residents.
Residents of Ruyterwacht have been experiencing significant power outages, leaving many households without electricity for extended periods. The ongoing crisis has sparked frustration and concern among the community, with local Ward councillor Chris Jordaan and affected residents voicing their struggles and seeking solutions.
Chris Jordaan, the Wrd councillor for the Ruyterwacht area, has acknowledged the issue, stating, “I’m aware of all the outages in Ruyterwacht. I managed to get Eskom over three weekends to work on the substation and individual houses. The majority of houses were switched on, but it tripped after 10 or 30 minutes. I again activate Eskom and do so on a daily basis and will never stop by doing so, although Eskom doesn’t belong to the City. It is important that all those who have outages, especially on the Eskom grid, must first go through the Eskom Alfred App as it makes it much, much easier. The storm also contributes to these outages and some facing challenges with Eskom.”
Despite Jordaan’s efforts, residents remain dissatisfied with the situation. Alvin Quintin Allies, one of the affected residents, expressed his frustration, stating, “I am one of the residents affected and am concerned that most people in Ruyterwacht are going about business as usual, yet there is a crisis in the community, which seemingly is going unnoticed or at least no fuss is made about it.
“There is no real support generated around the issue nor an avenue except for a WhatsApp group to raise the concern with Eskom or those in a position to help.”
WhatsApp group to escalate the matter
The WhatsApp group, which contains more than 400 residents, is a platform where community members try to escalate the matter.
However, Allies notes that efforts have been fruitless, with little response from the Mayor of Cape Town and the ward councillor, who refer residents back to Eskom.
The closure of Eskom’s walk-in centres and the unresponsiveness of their helpline have increased the residents’ frustration.
Allies highlighted the severity of the situation, stating, “The issue is that pockets of households like myself have been without electricity for 11 days straight.
“There are no updates or time frames given. Ruyterwacht is supposedly a DA enclave, but the mayor and ward councillors obviously don’t need votes now, hence the lack of interest to serve the community in their plight. We are two weeks without electricity with no end in sight.”
He further criticised councillor Jordaan, saying, “The ward councillor Chris Jordaan claims Eskom has been in the area four times and put all households back online, but this clearly shows a ward councillor who is not in touch with his community he is supposed to serve and is not worth his position, as he spews out thumb-suck reports that are far from the reality.
“He also claims he does not have a contact number for Eskom to escalate our plea when asked to do so.”
Vulnerable residents
The power outages have had a severe impact on vulnerable residents, including the elderly and those with health conditions.
Allies shared, “The fact that the sick and elderly are also affected, evident by the posts on this WhatsApp group, makes you wonder why persons in position are not taking this plight seriously. A lady with dementia, residents of 89 years and older, etc.”
Allies emphasised, “Some households are serviced by CoCT and others by Eskom, but ultimately all electricity is generated by Eskom.
“The fact that most households are on and only approximately 400 are without power does not mean there is no crisis. In some cases, neighbors on either side have power, but pockets in between are without.
“This is just due to the poor infrastructure of Ruyterwacht and gives a skewed view of our concern in this matter.”
As the residents of Ruyterwacht continue to endure prolonged outages, their call for action and reliable solutions grows louder.
The community say they remain hopeful that the relevant authorities will address their plight and restore stability to their power supply.
TygerBurger approached Eskom and enquired about the power outages. However, at the time of print on Tuesday, Eskom did not respond.
