WHILE most South Africans were celebrating Easter holidays the community of Mogwadi (formerly Dendron) in Limpopo was plunged into darkness.

Residents of the small town spent the entire long weekend without electricity because of a bust transformer that the municipality failed to fix.

The residents said the power went out at 6.15pm on Good Friday. By late yesterday power had not been resored and the Molemole municipality had still not said anything to residents.

Moloko Mabitsela said: "The municipality must reimburse us for our loss because it was purely due to its oversight that there was a power failure.

"We have thrown away whatever we had in the refrigerators because we can no longer use any of it."

Mabitsela said two years ago electricity was cut off for two weeks without any warning from the municipality.

Recently residents marched to the municipal offices to protest against the constant interruption of electricity and other service delivery problems such as water supply and proper roads.

Carel Holtzhausen, owner of Professional Funerals, said he had lost at least R1400 a day by hiring a generator each day there was no electricity.

"The problem of a lack of electricity impacted negatively on the running of my business and I've lost a lot," he said.

Municipal spokesperson Timothy Molopa said a transformer had burnt out as a result of lightning. Also the grid system was old and needed to be revamped.

He said repairs were in progress and power would be restored "soon".