Residents and businesses throughout Germiston have been battling power outages in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, a large power failure hit the Germiston CBD, Delville, parts of Wadeville, Germiston South, Elsburg and Tedstoneville, to name a few suburbs.
On Thursday, the power was still off in Tedstoneville and some people in Fishers’ Hill were left without electricity.
A Germiston South resident told the GCN that they have experienced nine power outages in the past month.
He said the outages last for hours on end and you can never get any response from the metro.
Werner Le Hanie, from Elsburg, said the latest power outage was about the eighth the suburb had suffered in the last three weeks.
“The metro must improve their service,” he said.
“You cannot get through to the call taking centre and, if you try to call the 999 numbers, they are never answered.”
Nicholas Bruce, a Georgetown resident, said their area has been experiencing power outages, which last for no less than six hours at a time, since mid-March.
The outages occur at least four times a week.
Pasi Mubaiwa, a resident of Tedstoneville, told the GCN that the power went off on Wednesday and, by 4pm on Thursday, had still not been restored.
“It is clear to me that these power cuts are being stage managed, as the adjacent industrial areas and the rail network do not have power cuts at all,” Mubaiwa said.
“We need an explanation as to why power loss is recurrent.
“Does the mayor also get such power cuts at his home, wherever it is?”
The GCN contacted the metro to find out why residents in Germiston were experiencing so many power outages.
Unfortunately, we did not receive satisfactory answers to all our questions.
The metro’s department of communications and brand management said: “The power failure on Wednesday was due to a cable fault.
“Tedstoneville was off for longer, as it took longer to locate, repair and test the affected cable in the area.
“The many power outages over the past few weeks can be attributed to the recent heavy rains causing numerous problems on the electricity network.
“Maintenance of the electricity infrastructure is being done.”
DIE PROBLEEM MET DIE KRAG IS BELAGLIK. VAN LAAS JAAR AF SUKKEL ONS MET DIE KRAG IN TEDSTONEVILLE. SIT DAE SONDER KRAG. DIE PROBLEEM IS DIE SUB STATSIE WORD NIE GEDIENS EN EK GLO NIE DIE MENSE IS GEKWALIFISEER OM DIE WERK TE DOEN. MET AL DIE ONDERBREKINGS MOET EK NOG STEEDS MY REKENING VAN R2000 TOT R2500 BETAAL. DIE KASTIGE EISE WAT MENS KAN INSTEL VIR VLEIS EN ELEKTRIESE WARE IS N KLUG. DAAR WORD GEEN GELDE UIT BETAAL VAN EKHURULENI NIE.
EK RAAK SO KWAAD EK KAN NIE GLO DAT JY GLAD NIE DEURKOM NA DIE EKURULENI TOE NIE , HULLE IS GOU OM MENSE SE KRAG TE SNY MAAR FONE OPTEL NO WAYS HOEKOM OF JY IS DERDE IN DIE RY EN AS JY EERSTE IS WORD JY AFGESNY EN JY MOET MAAR WEER PROBEER EK WAS AL OP DIE FOON VIR AMPER N UUR TOE WORD EK AFGESNY. ONS KRAG GAAN PARTYKEER DRIE KEER N WEEK AF. VANDAG DIE 8STE APRIL 2014 IS DIE KRAG AL AF VIR 13 URE WAT WORD VAN DIE MENSE SE KOS IN HULLE YSKASTE DIT VROT EN JY MOET DIT MAAR WEG GOOI WAT SAL HULLE WORRIE, NEE MAN ONS WERK HARD VIR WAT ONS HET.
Ekuruleni steel ons geld dit was woensdag kom my krag vi n half uur an en gaan weer af
Eat gebeer nou met my kos en goed gaan hulle dit betaal
Ek is nou net so gatvol. Ons krag het gisteraand 20:45 aangekom vir so 15 Sekondes en toe gaan dit weer af. Almal om my in Tedstoneville het krag, my bure aan beide kante, maar my huis het nie krag nie. HEt al die trip switches gecheck en niks het getrip nie. Bel mens die call centre word jy afgesny en kom jy wel deur na ure se gewg op die foon dan gee hulle vir jou ‘n reference nr maar kan nie vir jou se wat die probleem is nie of hoe lank dit gaan vat. Wat as hulle noju my krag verkeerdelik afgesny het, die technician gaan dit moes nie kan sien nie, en nou al die vleis wat ek moet wegsmyt omdat my vrieskas nie werk nie. Nee man die staat van ons is vertraag en niks werd nie. ANC is useless…
The electricity outages is just unbelievable, the frequency is outrageous. Our food is spoilt. There is just no communication given by Ekurhuleni. We pay for these services, they are not given to us as a gift. We as the residents do not deserve this treatment. The call centre really never answers any calls. What kind of people work in these offices, who do not have any feelings about the public that provides for the food that they put on their tables. These people forget that their salaries are paid by the people (taxpayers money) when they choose to ignore calls, don’t communicate, provide for the resources that we have paid for as the public.
I know it seems like I’m rambling but, THIS HAS GONE TOO FAR. These electricity outages must be taken care of, URGENTLY!