Note to Editors: Please find an English soundbite by Cllr Carl Steenekamp here
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Merafong is outraged over the four-week long power outage in Welverdiend.
A DA-led oversight revealed that some businesses are spending up to R9 000/day on diesel for their businesses to continue operating during this crisis. This is a service delivery failure of the highest order.
The Frikkie Substation has broken down again, due to Merafong Municipality’s failures. This substation supplies electricity to Welverdiend, the Elijah Barayi Social Housing Project, and several factories in the area.
We demand the municipality to prioritise the full upgrade of the substation.
This is not the first time residents have been left in the dark as load shedding is a persistent issue in the community. The Frikkie Substation has broken down multiple times in recent years without being replaced. The ANC-led municipality has failed to upgrade critical infrastructure that has led to frustrated families, workers, and businesses struggling as they are stranded without electricity.
The DA remains committed to ensuring that appalling service delivery failures like these are addressed, and that communities are not left to suffer in silence