The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape welcomes the assurance from the MEC for COGHSTA, Bentley Vass, that his office will accede to our request to intervene in the ongoing chaos at the Nakop border post near Upington, where travelers are stranded without food and water.
The Nakop border post was left without electricity supply from Eskom for the past three days due to heavy rains. The border post has been reliant on a generator, which stopped working at around 21:00 last night.
Attempts to get an intervention from the Port of Entry manager proved fruitless, as he was unaware of the situation and said that he was not on duty. The manager on duty has not been answering his phone.
This prompted the DA to call on Vass to assist with a generator, as Eskom indicated that there’s a problem in the broader Kalahari area and cannot confirm when a technician will be sent out to restore supply at Nakop border. Without electricity, it is impossible for the border post to function effectively and safely. The border post at Rietfontein is closed, leaving limited alternatives for trucks to cross the border. The only option is to travel via Vioolsdrift near Springbok, which is 544 kms away and would significantly increase both the time and costs of journeys.
Long queues are forming on both sides, with passengers having limited access to food and water. Passengers stranded on the border from 21h00 and 3h00 this morning, include pensioners traveling from Namibia on an Intercape bus. I am grateful for Commander van Kratenburg that came to the aid of an 80-year-old passenger and another who uses oxygen and whose tank was at 10%. It confirms that passengers are exposed to great hardships and risks while waiting for Eskom to get their act together.
After several calls, passengers have since been assisted manually from 10h30 this morning.
This incident exposes Eskom’s inability to provide reliable electricity supply to areas of national importance and raises questions about our ability to safeguard our borders and protect those making use of them.