Wells Estate plunged into darkness after mob disconnects transformer
A transformer in Wells Estate was disconnected yesterday by an angry mob, plunging the Motherwell community into darkness.
This was the result of tensions boiling over between residents of formal RDP houses and a nearby informal settlement known as Rugby Village, who clashed over illegal electricity connections.
The RDP house residents in Wells Estate allegedly took it upon themselves to remove illegal electricity connections, prompting those from the informal settlement to disconnect the transformer.
Videos circulating on social media show a group of about 100 people allegedly from Rugby Village marching towards the transformer in Hokwana Street.
With little resistance from the residents of the affected area, people are seen cutting the transformer wires.
Wells Estate resident Nomvuyo Dangazela said it was just a matter of time before someone was killed during the dangerous confrontations.
“The way it’s going someone will get killed,” Dangazela said.
“They are stopping us from capturing what they are doing on video.
“Today they threatened one of the residents who had his phone out because we have to keep quiet while they do what they want.”
According to Dangazela, for almost three years a section of Wells Estate known as Emajonini had been experiencing intermittent power outages.
The outages are caused by an overload on their transformers linked to the mushrooming of the informal settlement.
“Ten minutes is too long for us to have power any day,” she said.
“I have diabetes but I have not eaten the whole day because I have not been able to cook.
“Tomorrow [today] schools will open. How are we supposed to prepare for [our children] when we do not even have electricity in the morning to iron uniforms?”
Loyiso Thomas, who also stays in Emajonini, said the Rugby Village residents were using their frustrations around constant electricity disruptions to strong-arm the municipality into providing electricity for them.
“We have two transformers here because, between us and Rugby Village, the power was always tripping.
“I personally had to negotiate with the municipality to install another transformer in hopes that it would alleviate the situation,” he said.
“The settlement has grown and we are now back to square one.
“After fighting for our connection, we now must suffer because the municipality has not connected their area.”
Thomas denied any knowledge of who had disconnected the illegal connections of the informal settlement.
“The councillor told us we cannot disconnect them but only call the municipality when there is a power outage.
“There is a ladder stationed here because we constantly have to pay people to go up and switch on the transformer when it trips,” he said.
Mandisa Masiki, who identified herself as the founder of Rugby Village, said while they knew about the outages, the municipality was the problem because it did not provide adequate connections.
“There are several connections in different parts of Wells Estate for the settlement and only Emajonini has a problem,” she said.
“We have had a meeting with the councillor and it was agreed that they cannot remove our connections but must call the municipality.
“Since last week we have been disconnected three times.
“We went to the councillor’s office but today we woke up again with no electricity.”
Ward 60 councillor Thembinkosi Mafana said the issue of illegal connections was a matter for the electricity and energy directorate.
“You must call the MMC [political head of electricity and energy Zanele Sikawuti] because the Rugby Village issue has been ongoing for years and she should know what the solution is,” he said.
Mafana is also the political head of human settlements.
“What is important is that residents must not take down the illegal connections [but should] leave it to the metro.
“This causes tensions among communities and leads to violence.
“What I can say is that about 90% of Rugby Village has been connected and this is only impatience from people,” he said.
In response, Sikawuti said: “We have not received this complaint in our office. However, we will investigate and consult with the relevant officials and, ultimately, our communities.
“Once we establish what the challenge is, we will intervene and provide a solution.
“As the office, when there was an issue of a transformer, we intervened.
“For now, we are asking for calmness and co-operation from the community.”