City blamed for boy’s shock death

Power works, but residents choose izinyoka, spokesperson hits back.

Blame for the death of nine-year-old Siyabonga Scheepers, who was electrocuted by an illegal electricity connection, lies squarely at the door of Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, his mother claimed.

Siyabonga was apparently playing with his friends when he stood barefoot on the connection. Siyabonga’s aunt Vuyokazi Rala tried to rescue him.

Rala, of G-West informal settlement in Walmer township, Port Elizabeth, said her eight-year-old son came running home, telling “me and my grandmother that my nephew was dying on izinyoka lines.”

Rala ran with a neighbour to the scene. “I managed to remove Siyabonga from the line but I also got shocked. Our neighbour rescued me. An ambulance was called but my nephew was declared dead.”

The child’s mother, Amanda Scheepers, claimed the municipality has not yet repaired a transformer that was damaged three months ago. “My son would still be alive if the municipality had fixed our electricity problems.”

Because residents are frustrated, they have made illegal connections “and that’s what killed Siyabonga”.

“Other kids are still walking barefoot and playing where my son died. More kids will die as long we don’t have electricity in our homes,” Scheepers said.

Phumzile Rala, deputy chairperson of G-West area committee, blamed shoddy work. “We have not had electricity for nearly four months because the municipality employed people who know nothing about electricity.

“Many houses can’t switch on their electricity because the electricity was done by incompetent people.

“I took all the complaints to the ward councillor. But after no solutions, the residents resorted to izinyoka connections,” said Rala.

Ward 4 councillor Ayanda Tyokwana said a few shacks experienced electrical problems. “But those whose electricity is working, continue with izinyoka connections to avoid paying. That needs to be stopped.”

Tyokwana said this is the third person to be electrocuted since he became a councillor in 2016. More than 1 000 shacks in the neighbourhood have had electricity installed.

Municipal spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki said the city was aware of the electricity problems, most of which were caused by illegal connections. “The transformer will be replaced. We are asking residents to not connect illegally.”

Republished from Groundup.org.za