Matjhabeng must account for week-long power outage in Odendaalsrus

Municipality accused of neglecting outlying towns whilst prioritising Welkom

ODENDAALSRUS – The Matjhabeng Local Municipality must be held accountable for the week-long power outages that left large parts of Odendaalsrus without electricity for up to seven days.

Councillor Estelle Dansey said the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Matjhabeng will table formal questions in Council to hold the municipality accountable.

Seven-Day Blackout Crisis

“The residents of Odendaalsrus have once again been left in the dark, literally, as specific areas, particularly Block A, endured electricity outages lasting up to seven days. We are deeply alarmed by the municipality’s slow response, poor planning, and ongoing neglect of towns outside Welkom,” she said.

The initial outage stemmed from cable theft, yet the pulse machine needed to locate the fault was only dispatched to Odendaalsrus the following day. This delay is part of a troubling pattern where outlying towns are consistently forced to wait for critical equipment, cherry pickers, and even refuse collection, whilst Welkom remains the municipality’s clear priority.

Material Shortages Exposed

After the fault was eventually detected, the municipality cited a shortage of materials, raising serious concerns about its lack of proper forecasting and contingency planning.

“If theft prevents the city from maintaining sufficient stock levels, the DA questions the security measures, procurement systems, and staff competencies in place to safeguard and manage vital infrastructure,” Dansey said.

Although some cables were replaced after three days, residents in Block A remained without power for more than a week.

This follows a prolonged outage during which the municipality committed to installing overhead cables.

Urgent Action Plan Demanded

The DA therefore demands an urgent action plan from Matjhabeng Local Municipality outlining:

• The exact timeline for completing the promised overhead cable installation
• The reasons for the municipality’s continued failure to maintain an adequate stock of essential electrical materials

“Matjhabeng residents deserve equal access to reliable service delivery, not second-class treatment because they live outside Welkom,” Dansey said.

“These prolonged outages are unacceptable and serve as yet another clear example of poor planning and misplaced priorities by this administration.”