Protest over power cuts
THE ROAD between Barkly West and Delportshoop remained closed late yesterday afternoon after community members took to the streets to protest scheduled electricity cuts imposed by Eskom, related to Dikgatlong Municipality’s debt of more than R60 million to the power utility.
Chaos erupted in Barkly West yesterday after police opened fire with rubber bullets on hundreds of community members, who had blocked the road between Barkly West and Delportshoop with burning tyres and large rocks.
The protest follows scheduled electricity interruptions by Eskom that commenced last week and were “intensified” this week, after the Dikgatlong Municipality failed to reach a payment agreement with the power utility with regard to a debt of R61 517 753 for the bulk supply of electricity, part of which has been outstanding and in escalation since August 2013.
From Tuesday, residents of Barkly West, Delportshoop and Longlands started experiencing interruptions from 6am to 8am and 5pm to 7.30pm on weekdays and 8.30am to 11am and 3pm to 5.30pm on the weekend.
Eskom has warned that if a payment agreement is not reached by Monday, June 11, the entire municipality will be without electricity from 6am to 8pm.
Furious residents yesterday embarked on a protest and closed the road between Barkly West and Delportshoop with burning tyres and rocks, making the road inaccessible to motorists, who were directed to alternative routes by police.
The protesters demanded that the MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta), Bentley Vass, and Northern Cape Premier Sylvia Lucas “immediately address them” and indicate a way forward.
“What infuriates us is the fact that most of our residents pay cash for their electricity, via pre-paid purchases. Why must we now suffer because the municipality can’t pay Eskom? And what happened to the money we paid? What has the municipality done with that money?,” the angry residents demanded to know.
They added that the interruptions caused “chaos”, as the cuts took place during peak hours, preventing them from bathing, preparing food or getting their children ready for school.
“We can’t go on like this. We are forced to live like pigs by a municipality that is only interested in lining their own pockets. This only shows that they feel nothing for their people,” they said.
At around noon, members of the SAPS Public Order Police arrived on the scene and attempted to clear the road by removing stones from the road and then firing rubber bullets at the crowd to force them to disperse. Community members scattered in all directions and retaliated by throwing stones at the police.
They protesters returned later, however, and vowed to “not leave” and to keep the road closed until the electricity is switched back on.
Police spokesperson, Captain Sergio Kock, yesterday afternoon confirmed that the road was still closed and that police were “monitoring the situation”.
“The SAPS Public Order Policing, Frances Baard Cluster Office and Barkly West SAPS are currently at the protest, where the R31 road has been closed. The protesters also allegedly went on to loot some shops in the Barkly West area. Police utilised stun grenades and rubber bullets to get the situation under control. No arrests have been effected as yet ,” Kock said.
Dikgatlong municipal manager, Andrew Kagisho Modise, said yesterday that he was not in a position to comment on the situation in Barkly West, as he was “in Kimberley and did not know what was happening”.
He did, however, confirm that no further development with regard to a payment agreement with Eskom had been reached.
Eskom has indicated that the municipality will see even more intensified interruptions from June 12 if a payment agreement is not reached by June 11. This will include daily interruptions between 6am and 8pm.
Meanwhile, the DA in the Northern Cape has called on provincial government to exert pressure on the national Department of Public Works to urgently pay outstanding debt to Dikgatlong Municipality.
“Residents in Barkly West, Windsorton and Delportshoop have taken their frustrations to the streets in protest of the up-scaling of load shedding as a direct result of the municipality’s failure to settle its outstanding debt with Eskom. Dikgatlong owes Eskom more than R61.5 million and has to pay Eskom at least R2.1 million before electricity supply can return to normal. Meanwhile, a reply to a parliamentary question from the MEC for Coghsta, Bentley Vass, has revealed that the national Department of Public Works owes Dikgatlong just over R60 million,” DA provincial leader, Andrew Louw, Danie van der Lith said.
He added that, given Dikgatlong Municipality’s dire state of financial affairs, it was “critical” that provincial leadership immediately entered into negotiations with national Public Works to initiate a settlement agreement, adding that this would in turn avail funds to pay off Dikgatlong’s Eskom debt.
“Community members feel deeply aggrieved by the fact that the majority of them are paying cash for their electricity, via prepaid meters. Yet, they are being punished with electricity cuts for severe maladministration and corruption taking place within the municipality.
“In order to restore calm to the community, Premier Sylvia Lucas and MEC Vass must physically go and diffuse the situation in Barkly West and the surrounding areas. They should also commit to launching an in-depth investigation into the finances of Dikgatlong, as it appears that money is disappearing from the municipality’s coffers,” Louw concluded.