Residents hail the big switch-on
FOLLOWING cries from residents of the Zwelibanzi Soga informal settlement in Mdantsane’s NU12 of being without electricity, Buffalo City Metro mayor, Xola Pakati, yesterday switched the lights on at a buffer strip of RDP houses.
Flanked by infrastructure and engineering services political boss, Ncedo Kumbaca, and other members of his mayoral team, Pakati, said the metro was committed to delivering services to residents.
The electrification project on the buffer strip, was a response to the concerns raised at imbizos in the run-up to elections.
“We have committed ourselves into making sure that all the informal settlements are electrified to ensure a better quality of life for the people of the metro,” Pakati said.
The project cost the municipality R2.5-million with 340 households set to be electrified.
The rest of the houses are expected to be connected to the grid by February 17.
The Dispatch reported in May that the metro lost between R8million to R10-million a year to cable theft.
Some NU12 shacks have also been electrified, that would effectively deal with the issue of the electricity thieves, otherwise known as izinyoka.
Illegal connections have in recent years, proven deadly as in BCM alone, 44 people lost their lives due to illegal connections in the 2015-16 financial year.
Zwelibanzi Soga resident Malizwa Khuse, said he was very happy they received electricity legally as they continue waiting for RDP houses.
“Even in the rural areas you find electricity we now feel like we are also part of a metro. The dangers of living with open live electricity is what we were living with because people had no choice,”said Khuse.
The mayor said they have experienced challenges with their electrification project in areas like Dakawa informal settlemnt in NU19, where residents are demanding RDP houses be built.
The metro is having regular consultations with residents in the hope of reaching an understanding, he said. —