Residents across the Ngwathe Local Municipality have been left unable to buy prepaid electricity after major problems disrupted online and other usual electricity vending platforms over the weekend.
The disruption has forced residents to travel to municipal offices to purchase electricity while technical teams work to address the problems.
The municipality has introduced extended operating hours, but residents say the difficulties go beyond a temporary vending system failure.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it has received numerous complaints from residents whose existing meter boxes are no longer recognised by the system or whose meter cards cannot be read.
Some affected meters now need to be replaced, leaving households unable to purchase electricity and, in some cases, without power while they wait for technical assistance.
DA Ngwathe mayoral candidate Cllr Carina Serfontein described the situation as a crisis that should have been prevented through proper planning.
“This is a human-created crisis that could and should have been prevented through proper planning,” Serfontein said.
The disruption comes as freezing temperatures continue to affect the Free State, adding to the pressure on households without electricity.
Residents who have run out of electricity are being forced to travel to municipal offices for assistance, despite the cold conditions.
The situation is particularly difficult for elderly residents, vulnerable households and those without reliable access to transport.
The problem has also affected residents who normally buy electricity through private service providers and vending platforms, with some providers unable to issue tokens.
This has left some households without a reliable alternative when their usual purchasing channels fail.
Serfontein said there should have been contingency measures in place before the municipality implemented changes to its electricity vending system.
“Residents should not discover that their meter needs to be replaced only once they have run out of electricity and are unable to purchase additional units,” she said.
According to Serfontein, potentially incompatible meters should have been identified in advance, sufficient replacement smart meter boxes procured and technical teams positioned to respond to problems across all towns in the municipality.
The DA intends to formally ask the municipal administrator and municipal manager for a full assessment of the vending system failure, including the number of affected meters in each town.
It is also calling for an urgent meter replacement programme with clear deadlines, confirmation that sufficient smart meter boxes are available, and details of additional stock being procured.
The party is further seeking a deployment plan for technical teams, with priority given to households that are already without electricity, as well as immediate alternative arrangements for residents who cannot purchase electricity through their normal vending channels.
It wants the municipality to establish a clear contingency plan for residents who cannot purchase electricity while waiting for their meters to be replaced, together with regular public updates until the system and affected meters are fully operational.
Serfontein acknowledged the municipal officials and technical teams working to assist residents, saying they were operating under difficult circumstances.
However, she said emergency intervention should not be a substitute for proper planning when major changes are made to essential municipal systems.
Residents who are able and willing to pay for electricity should not be left without power because their meters cannot be recognised by the municipal system or because adequate arrangements were not made before the vending system was changed.
With freezing temperatures adding to the hardship, the electricity vending problems have placed further pressure on households across Ngwathe.
