– De Aar without power after transformer vandalism.
– Urgent intervention needed to restore electricity.
– More police patrols needed to protect infrastructure.
The Democratic Alliance has called on COGHSTA MEC Lebogang Motlhaping to urgently intervene and provide support to Emthanjeni Municipality, as large parts of De Aar remain without electricity a week after vandalism caused a transformer to burn out.
While more fortunate residents are able to braai and cook in potjies, poorer residents in Nonzwakazi and De Aar East are being forced to cook on open fires using old clothes, tekkies and plastic bottles as fuel.
The situation is desperate and heartbreaking. Many residents have lost the entire contents of their fridges and deep freezes, leaving families without food and placing an already vulnerable community under immense financial pressure.
The DA remains in contact with Emthanjeni Municipal Manager, Disang Molaole and acknowledges that, following specification problems with the first replacement transformer, a refurbished transformer is scheduled to be installed on Thursday.
Residents simply cannot afford any further delays. The town’s electricity infrastructure is already in a critical state following years of inadequate maintenance, with vandalism compounding the problem. Replacing the transformer alone will not be enough if the wider network remains poorly maintained and vulnerable to theft.
DA COGHSTA spokesperson Gizella Opperman has requested MEC Lebogang Motlhaping to provide Emthanjeni Municipality with the technical, financial and operational support needed to urgently restore electricity, strengthen the network and protect critical infrastructure.
The prolonged power outage has also left the town’s infrastructure increasingly vulnerable to criminal activity, with copper cables being stripped in broad daylight. Urgent intervention is needed not only to restore power, but also to safeguard essential infrastructure against further theft and vandalism, ensuring residents have reliable and sustained access to electricity.
The DA therefore also met with the police captain at Sunrise Police Station today to call for an urgent increase in police visibility and patrols in affected areas.
We cannot allow De Aar to move from one electricity crisis to another while criminals continue to destroy the infrastructure on which residents’ daily lives, livelihoods, businesses and the local economy depend.
On 4 November, residents will have the opportunity to choose a DA local government that puts safety, reliable municipal services and local job creation first.