By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – Residents of Makgaloaneng village in Ward 07, Maluti-a-Phofung, have been without electricity for more than a week after a transformer near Majara Primary School caught fire.
Community members said they could only watch helplessly as the transformer burned on the night of 12 August before the power went out.
“We didn’t know what to do when it started burning. None of us have the expertise. Maybe if we had, we could have reduced the damage,” said one witness.
The outage has left households struggling to cope. Residents complain that the prolonged blackout has led to food spoilage, increased costs, and severe discomfort during the cold winter nights.
Eighty-four-year-old Jeminah Mokoena said she had to throw away meat and other groceries from her fridge.
“On top of that, I was forced to spend extra money on paraffin to cook and keep warm. It is still winter, and the nights are very cold,” she said.
The elderly and children are said to be the hardest hit, with many forced to rely on open fires for warmth. Some residents have also turned to buying prepared food, further stretching already strained household budgets.
Municipal communication manager, Thabo Kessah, confirmed the matter has been reported to relevant authorities and promised it would be attended to in due course.
However, community members expressed frustration at what they called “delayed responses” from the municipality. They allege that the electricity department faces logistical challenges, including a shortage of vehicles for maintenance and fault-finding operations.
“Sometimes workers share one vehicle, which slows down urgent repairs,” said a resident.
Meanwhile, Makgaloaneng villagers remain in the cold, waiting anxiously for the lights to come back on.
One Response
The problem of electricity outages is a concern for the residents of Maluti A Phofung.
At Sehlajaneng the situation is worse because people go without electricity with no explanation from councillors for many days.
It is so sad because pensioners will use their social grants to buy electricity only to be switched off and they will be forced to buy gas so as to cook.
The situation is inhumane and unbearable