Fire leaves villagers in the dark — for three months

Victims of a veld fire which destroyed Eskom power lines, a home and livestock have waited for three months for electricity, and they say they are still in the dark.

Eight households in Ntshilini village, in Ngqeleni, are left looking at the wreckage of burnt electricity poles, blackened cables and ruined meter boxes. They are angry with Eskom for either doing nothing, or doing a half-job leaving wires exposed.

Bulelwa Macwerha, speaking on behalf of a family of 11, said they had been hit hardest. Their rondavel, the family s furniture

’ and the children s school uniforms

’ had burnt when the meter box exploded.

Good Samaritans and the Nyandeni municipality donated clothes, food and mattresses to the family and scores of others devastated by the fire.

The pupils, in primary and high school, have to bath in cold water before school. Macwerha said sometimes they went to bed hungry.

Eskom people came here to “inspect the damage. They promised they would come back and they never returned. We are in complete darkness. We are not safe.”

“

Nokhwenantu Phokotyelana said when they called Eskom they were told different stories

“”. One time I was told all the

“homes have been attended to. That was not true. There are more than eight households in my area alone that do not have electricity.

Our life is just one big struggle, Phokotyelana said.

”

Eskom came and installed the meter box and left cables exposed. It is a danger to us. We want Eskom to speedily resolve this. We are really suffering.” Bhadaweli Qebelu said: We

“have been to the Nyandeni municipality to ask them to intervene because this is crucial for us. My garden and fence were destroyed by the fire. I cannot plant vegetables “now because there is nothing to secure it.

We are hungry and having “no electricity makes it worse. We need all the help we can get to bring normalcy to this village.

”

Provincial Eskom spokesperson Zama Mpondwana confirmed the utility had managed to restore supply to some villagers, but not others.

Due to the extent of the

“damage, it is taking a bit longer.”

He pleaded for patience saying: We are trying our best.”