Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

2-minute read
09 June 2023 | 21:32 CAT

Image: Benoni City Times

Benoni residents have struggled for months without water for a day or two and prolonged power outages. This has led to severe anger among residents who cannot take a bath, use their toilets or cook. Last month, the Portfolio Committee of Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs accepted a petition from Ward 25 in Benoni.

The DA has launched two petitions separately, in Ward 25 and Wards 23, 24, 27 and 28, on the desperate situation that residents face with loadshedding and no water coming out of their taps. The first petition received 800 signatures, while the second received 1000 signatures.

The Portfolio Committee of Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs recently listened to Ward 25 residents in Benoni as they set out daily problems. According to the MP and DA Benoni Constituency Head, Haseena Ismail, residents highlighted their living conditions and how they have endured prolonged power outages.

During the petition hearing, she said various issues regarding power outages were discussed, including cable theft, vandalism leading to extended outages, grid tripping and overload during power restoration in the evening, and illegal connections while the need for efficient security services to protect the infrastructure in the City of Ekurhuleni was also mentioned.

“The primary focus of the discussion was on infrastructure upgrades as we look at it as a means to address the persistent power outages in the long term,” she said.

After the meeting, Haseena has written letters to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee of COGTA, the Gauteng Premier’s Office and the City of Ekurhuleni.

She said the issues highlighted in these letters include the Chairperson ensuring infrastructure upgrade plans from the City of Ekurhuleni and the Provincial Premiers Office are received to ensure their cheques and balances are in place.

“There is no use telling us you’ve got plans if you don’t give us budgets and time frames with it. I believe these documents are crucial for establishing long-term solutions and plans to improve electrical infrastructure,” she added.

Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie.