Cable theft top cause of power problems in city
Praise for wheelchair access
CABLE THEFT is the most common cause for Durban homes being plunged into darkness. Although municipal workers can fix the problem, within hours the thefts reoccur. We looked at some affected areas.
Morningside
An owner who runs student accommodation said the unpredictable outages had left her with no choice but to find alternative power sources for her tenants. Patricia Davids said she was contemplating buying a generator because when there was no electricity, the students demanded answers. “With load shedding it was easier because we knew when it would hit and when we would get the power back, now we are just in the dark.”
She has lived in the area for 16 years and had not experienced any power outages until April. She said electricity would go off at any time and her tenants were unhappy.
“I have lost so much money trying to solve this problem and a generator is going to cost an arm and leg,” she said.
Davids said she was worried she would lose income if any of her tenants left.
Unathi Nape said the outages at Davids’ house made it difficult for him to study and complete work. “Not knowing when and if we will have electricity interferes with my study schedule. I am forced to stay at campus at night to be able to prepare for tests and type assignments,” he said. Another student Gift Mbebe said he wanted to move as the outages were taking a toll.
Kenville
Continuous outages in Smithfield Road have residents fed up. Ahmed Kharodia said since the beginning of this month there had been constant outages.
“The city has an explanation – they blame people from the informal settlement without proper justification. When we call to report the problem, they give us the runaround and don’t provide any facts.
“The call centre employees tell us the managers will call us but there is never a call back. I am sad because this is a huge issue and it is being treated with no importance.”
New Ward 34 councillor Ashok Maharajh said this was a concern in areas like Sea Cow Lake, Avoca and Red Hill.
“The electrical outages are having an impact on formal residents and it’s frustrating when they see informal settlements have power. It is critical the city finds ways of provide power to the settlements.
“I am going to approach the head of housing development and put forward a proposal to install electricity in these settlements. Ward 34 has the highest number of informal structures and it is time solutions were found.”
Shallcross
Residents of Sunpark (as previously reported) claim the municipality is not making enough effort to fix the problem. Sam Moodley said it had been almost three weeks since he had a regular power flow.
“Speaking to the municipality is like hitting your head against a brick wall. We spoke to city manager S’bu Sithole months ago about this but there has been no response.
“We cannot live like this. We are being robbed of essential services that we pay a lot for.”
On a positive note, Annette Thungavaloo of Ashneer Park in Greenwood Park said since the power had been restored last week there had not been any hiccups. She thanked City Watch for intervening and said they’d monitor the situation.
Head of communications for eThekwini municipality, Tozi Mthethwa, said the city was not aware of the matter. “We have noted the concerns and will do what we can to stop this. The city has tasked the relevant unit to do investigations and look into the claims of illegal connections. The municipality, with SAPS help, has made arrests.” – Additional reporting by Zimasa Matiwane WHEN Noeline Joubert sent a letter to the Breakers Resort on uMhlanga beach requesting that there be wheelchair access at the end of the promenade, the last thing she expected was that her wish would come true.
Last week a wheelchair ramp was fitted by the uMhlanga UIP and it has brought a lot of praise from the disabled.
Joubert and her wheelchair-bound husband Thinus live in Johannesburg and were holidaying in Durban in April when she wrote the letter.
In her letter she said her husband had a severe stroke in 2014 that left him wheelchair- bound. She said they had visited the Breakers every year since 2006, but after her husband’s stroke, the steps down to the deck had been impossible to navigate and hindered their enjoyment of the beach.
She suggested those who maintained the area install wheelchair ramps.
Noeline’s e-mail was then sent to the UIP who then requested the city’s Coastal Engineering department to give clearance.
In an interview with City Watch this week, Joubert said she was shocked at how fast the ramp had been installed and was glad that Durban organisations were sympathetic to the plight of people with physical challenges.
“The stroke rendered my husband unfit and the things he once enjoyed are now impossible, even simple things like taking a walk to the beach. We have not seen the ramp but believe that it would be an improvement for many similar families who want to enjoy the pleasures of life.
Cara Riley of the uMhlanga UIP said the installation of the wheelchair ramp was essential to ensure a positive experience for everyone who used the deck, from people in wheelchairs to parents with prams.