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Since my statement last week to raise awareness about the devastating impact of cable theft in Merafong communities, several alarming developments have taken place that increase the suffering of residents.

Cable thieves have since targeted the Bloukrans substation, Dolomite and Talc streets, the swimming pool substation and the Fluorspar and Umfolozi substations. Furthermore, 100 metres of cable at the Carletonville Civic Centre and cable feeding the Watersedge area have also been stolen.

See pictures here, here and here

The list is inconclusive, but this video shows a municipal worker telling a concerned resident that criminals plan their outings according to Eskom's load shedding schedules.

It is also deeply concerning that earlier this week a tip-off sent via the WRDM was completely ignored by municipal officials, the South African Police Service and Mayor Best.

Only in the evening did the Mayor respond that she accidentally sent an investigation team to Botha Str in Fochville instead of Carletonville.

This complete apathy is reinforced on social media. An HR official working for the municipality responded in the following way on Facebook:

“Ward councillors in a ward where a cable is stolen must be the one who goes and opens a case with the police or officials from public safety, you choose. Electricians cannot afford to spend the entire day at the police station giving statements to 4 different cops only for the statement to be written down by the 5th cop. It’s your ward, go and report the cable theft and let officials get on with the business of trying to replace the cable. Common sense is free.”

The cynical and completely inaccurate ending that “common sense is free” neatly sums up that some municipal officials are not only ignorant, but they are also actually careless and cruel when it comes to the plight of residents.

It is also very concerning to me that residents are increasingly attacking the very ward councillors who are trying to assist them and who are representing the interests of residents in Council.

Ward councillors have a very specific role according to municipal legislation. They are not allowed to take over the work of municipal officials and they are not required to report incidents on behalf of residents. It is therefore not useful if community members misdirect their anger at ward councillors, however justified that anger may be.

Between a broken municipality and an equally broken SAPS, it seems only a handful of ward councillors are still trying to help their communities.

The DA in Merafong is still awaiting answers from the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) and we will be taking further steps in Council and will work with community members to seek solutions. Merafong residents are in a fight for survival.

Issued by Ina Cilliers MPL - DA Constituency Head- Merafong