Residents of Phomolong in Tembisa intend to boycott next month’s elections, with violence if necessary, if Eskom and the City of Ekurhuleni re-allocate them to a new network susceptible to load-shedding. (Photo by Luba Lesolle/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
Residents of Phomolong in Tembisa intend to boycott next month’s elections, with violence if necessary, if Eskom and the City of Ekurhuleni re-allocate them to a new network susceptible to load-shedding.
Phomolong has been spared from load-shedding because of its proximity to critical services such as a substation, police stations and schools, all of which have been granted exemptions from load-shedding.
The decision to re-allocate electricity stems from a high court ruling mandating Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent power interruptions to hospitals, public schools and police stations.
The area continues to benefit from the exemptions because of its interconnected network of essential services.
The City of Ekurhuleni says it can’t put Phomolong on a different network because Eskom manages the area.
The city’s spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini, said that although many townships connected to the same network as essential services have been moved without disruptions, Phomolong remains under Eskom’s jurisdiction, beyond the city’s control.
“The city is aware of Phomolong’s exemption from load-shedding. The objective is for all non-essential service areas in the country to undergo load-shedding. But, we lack jurisdiction in some areas as Eskom determines the power cut schedule.”
Dlamini added: “All areas slated for relocation have been transitioned without interruptions.”
Eskom has not responded to queries from the Mail & Guardian.
Residents said they were dismayed by the possibility that the area would no longer be exempt from load-shedding.
Njabulo Ndlovu, a homeowner who leases his property to two salons, criticised the city’s proposal to subject them to load-shedding, viewing it as detrimental to the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) local coalition government.
“We’ve been informed that like everyone else in the country, we must endure load-shedding. But what the city fails to grasp is that electricity was the sole reason for our support of any political party. Without it, they have nothing to offer,” he said.
Outside his gate lies a heap of refuse bags. “Look at this entire area, it’s saturated with trash, sewage spills and rats, posing a serious health risk. This alone justifies our decision not to vote.
“Crime rates have been relentless and electricity keeps us safe and sustains our livelihoods. Without electricity, there’s no employment; all the salons on this street rely on it for operations.
“So, if they deprive us of power, they can forget about our votes because no political party will do any better. The Democratic Alliance tried and failed and the ANC-EFF government is also failing. Therefore, no votes from us,” he said.
Despite no load-shedding, the area is often prone to power outages, especially during high stages of load-shedding.
Sandile Madiba said his child is now blind “but due to the city’s failure to collect trash for three consecutive weeks, we were forced to coexist with rats, which resulted in my child losing an eye. This happened despite our complaints about unsustainable living conditions. If the government wants war, they’ll get it from us.”
Another resident, Tumelo Ngobeni, said they had 5 000 signatures for a petition against the plan to move the area to another electricity network and intends to submit it to the municipal council on 20 May.
“We’re prepared to present our 5 000 signatures and expect to get more before the 20th. We anticipate that political parties will return for their final campaign rounds. If they refuse to heed our concerns, then voter apathy will echo across the nation this year,” Ngobeni said.
Akhona Ndendze, a member of the Tembisa Community Forum, said residents were committed to stopping the city from carrying out the court order.
“If the municipality persists, we will stage protests and there will be no peace. We’ve endured the lacklustre so-called service delivery for too long.
“We’re prepared to disrupt the township and engage in confrontations with law enforcement over service delivery issues. We’ll even disrupt the elections if necessary,” Ndendze said.