After an alleged 10 days of frequent electricity outages, residents of Kamesh precinct, particularly Thomas Gamble, in Kariega took to the streets to protest their dissatisfaction with the service delivery they receive.
Their Ward Councillor Franay van de Linde said the matter had been repeatedly reported, escalated and followed up by both herself and her office.
She explained that she had also raised the issue throughout the week on the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality disaster communication group while council was simultaneously discussing the impact of the recent disaster.
According to van de Linde, residents in Essenwood and Pepperboom Streets in Thomas Gamble, Kariega, have now experienced electricity outages for 10 days, with little to no feedback from the Electricity Department regarding the cause of the fault or when power will be fully restored.
Responding to questions, she clarified that the outage had not been continuous for the full 10 days, but rather intermittent. “It [electricity outage] is periodic, because electricity was restored Saturday, 9 May, in the late afternoon for a few minutes, but went off again during the night, according to information received on the WhatsApp group of the area.”
Van de Linde further shared copies of messages she had sent to the municipality’s Electricity and Energy (E&E) department as well as the NMBM councillor communication groups, requesting urgent intervention.
In the messages, she noted that frustrated residents had resorted to burning tyres at the corner of Kamesh and Kiaat Streets in protest over the prolonged outages.
She added that the affected areas had already been without power before Monday’s storm and argued that the faults should not be grouped together with newer weather-related outages.
She also pointed out similarities with outages affecting Lapland and Tiryville in her neighbouring ward.
In response, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) confirmed their awareness of the protest action currently taking place in parts of Kamesh, Ward 48, Kariega, linked to electricity supply challenges affecting sections of the community.
NMBM spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said, “Preliminary assessments indicate that the electricity outages are linked to infrastructure faults affecting the network in the area.”
He added that “the situation has been compounded by ageing electricity infrastructure, repeated vandalism of critical municipal assets, cable-related incidents, and the impact of recent adverse weather conditions, all of which continue to place significant pressure on service delivery operations across the Metro.”
Soyaya said that technical teams have been deployed and are “working around the clock to assess the extent of the damage, stabilise the network, and restore electricity supply to affected residents as safely and quickly as possible.”
He continued to say that the Municipality is prioritising affected areas while implementing interventions aimed at improving network reliability and reducing recurring outages.
“The Municipality acknowledges the frustration experienced by residents and remains committed to resolving the matter through coordinated technical and disaster response interventions,” he said. “At the same time, the Metro appeals for calm and urges residents to avoid actions that may endanger lives, disrupt emergency access routes, or damage infrastructure, as this may further delay restoration efforts and negatively impact surrounding communities.”
He noted that law enforcement authorities and relevant municipal departments are monitoring the situation closely to ensure public safety and minimise disruptions.
“Further updates will be communicated as more verified information becomes available,” he concluded.
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