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This week, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng laid criminal charges against the Ekurhuleni City Manager (CM), Imogen Mashazi, for failing to ensure proper maintenance of all critical electrical infrastructure. This has resulted in Kempton Park residents only having four hours of electricity over the last six days. This double blow to our residents has become untenable and can no longer be tolerated.

Furthermore, the DA has requested that a full investigation be launched into the alleged failure of the 66 KV cable in Kempton Park, which is barely five months old and has cost at least R200 million. The new cable was laid between the Spartan and Van Riebeeck Park substations. Load-shedding by Eskom is taking its toll, and added to this are the continual power outages due to this newly laid electrical cable.

Whistle blowers have informed the DA that the new 66KV cable was not correctly installed and is not in line with industry standards due to shoddy workmanship. It is alleged that due to the continual power shortages and outages, this cable has started to melt, causing untold misery to the residents of Kempton Park.

These allegations must be urgently investigated. Our residents deserve answers on the cause of the continual energy crisis in Kempton Park, depriving them of a reliable electricity supply that they pay for.

The fact that this newly installed electricity cable is already causing problems shows a total lack of care towards residents whose daily lives have become a nightmare during this cold winter.

Residents receive limited, if any, feedback from municipal officials, and the acting Executive Mayor is nowhere to be found during this crisis.

The DA demands that a comprehensive state of infrastructure plan be produced by Ekurhuleni so that the province can assist in guiding them on maintenance plans. The infrastructure plan can be used to determine where Ekurhuleni needs to spend money on maintenance going forward.

Our residents are entitled to a regular supply of electricity and infrastructure maintained by the City of Ekurhuleni as long as they diligently pay their rates and taxes.

Issued by Bronwynn Engelbrect MPL and Nico De Jager MPL - DA Constituency Head- Kempton Park and DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA)