Sick of waiting, Khayelitsha informal settlements demand electrification

Norma Fakadolo, Xolelwa Matiwane and Sbongiseni Maki led a march by residents of nearly a dozen informal settlements in Khayelitsha to deliver a memorandum to the Eskom offices on Thursday, calling for the electrification of their areas. Photo: Vincent Lali

Dozens of people from a host of informal settlements in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, marched on Thursday to the offices of Eskom to call for the electrification of their areas.

They came from Island, Mandela Park, Ethembeni, Estate, Qandu-qandu, Social distance, New Bright, Level Two, New Culture and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

Community activist Bonga Zamisa, who organised the march with another community activist, Nonceba Ndlebe, said they want Eskom and the City of Cape Town to set up a comprehensive task team that includes all the relevant departments.

“The team will enable us to get the relevant officials in one room and make it unnecessary for us to march to Eskom one minute and to the City the next minute. It’s exhausting,’’ he said.

Zamisa said they want Eskom to specify which settlements are scheduled for electrification, which ones are not, and explain why.

The community activists said a lack of electricity meant people used illegal connections, which damaged their appliances, put people at risk of electrocution and caused animosity between communities.

Ndlebe said, “Bad blood exists between shack dwellers and formal house owners who say we steal electricity and cause their electricity not to last.’’

“It’s dark in our areas. You can’t walk in the dark to the toilets to relieve yourself because you may be mugged and violated.’’

The protesters’ memorandum said some areas have been awaiting electrification since 2016.

“We urgently call Eskom and other relevant departments to intervene and address this pressing issue,” the memo said.

’’Faniswa Sonjica, Eskom’s electrification and planning manager, said: ‘“We will review the memorandum thoroughly and respond after 14 days.’’

‘’Your demands relate to various departments. We will get together with various officials from relevant departments and decide how to respond,’’ she said.

Support independent journalism
Donate using Payfast