The City has officially launched the electrification of 140 households in a Hout Bay informal settlement.
This is the first time that Dontse Yakhe, a settlement at the top of Imizamo Yethu and on the boundary with the Table Mountain National Park, has received legal, safe and reliable electricity, according to mayoral committee member for energy Beverley van Reenen.
The launch, on Tuesday March 9, is part of a R3.7 million City project with the remaining 208 of the settlement’s 348 homes to be connected to the municipal power grid by the end of June, ending their reliance on gas, paraffin and illegal connections, according to Ms Van Reenen.
Siphenathi Stuma, who lives in the community with his wife, Zintle, said he was thrilled to have his own electricity meter, and the money he saved from no longer having to buy illegally supplied electricity could be used for his children.
Sibongiseni Mqulwana has shared a three-room dwelling with four people since 2007. Despite the others having jobs, they struggled to pay the R500 each month for illegal electricity. She expects that once they have paid off the cost of the electricity meter, they will be paying R100 to R150 each month.
Chanelle Baadjies shares a shack with her husband, Michael, who has a gardening job, and their 4-month-old son, Ezekiel. She said they had been paying R400 a month for illegal electricity but would now be able to pay R100.
Holding a bag of electrical cables removed when the new lines were hung, she said they were looking forward to not going without electricity in rainy weather or when cables were stolen for copper.
Imizamo Yethu has been plagued by illegal electricity connections that strain the grid and often cause power outages in Hout Bay (“Part of IY to be lit up”, Sentinel News, October 14, 2022.)
Albert Meiring, of Maritz Electrical, who won the tender to install the power supply, said they had employed five expanded public works programme workers from the area. The new electrical system was much safer than the illegal connections, he said.
Ward councillor Roberto Quintas said that the electrification project had been on the cards for more than five years, but disputes among various leadership structures within Imizamo Yethu had stalled it repeatedly.
“To see it now, finally take place after personally driving this for half a decade, I am an extremely happy ward councillor and must thank the officials of the City who didn’t give up on this either, as well as community liaison officer, Pamela Sofika, for her excellent coordination and facilitation.”
Ms Sofika said electricity was one of the community’s grievances that she had taken to the City.
“In August 2019, the process was stopped by disgruntled people with political agendas, which was unfair as they already had electricity,” she said.
To combat the theft and vandalism of municipal infrastructure as well as illegal electricity connections, the City offers rewards of up to R5 000 to informants for tip-offs that lead to arrests or the confiscation of stolen property.
Call 0800 1100 77, SMS 31220, or email power@capetown.gov.za
