EVERY month Kockjeu Mpiyake pays more than R150 for electricity that is illegally connected to his two bedroomed shack from a nearby RDP house.
But this month, the electricity did not last and he was asked by the RDP house owner to pay another R150.
Even though he paid, he has not been able to use his washing machine, stove or heater. He now only uses electricity for lighting and powering his television and radio.
One RDP house owner near the Ekuphumleni informal settlement - to the west of Cape Town - illegally supplies electricity to more than 10 people in shacks. This overloads the main switch and the electricity often cuts out.
If the homeowner is out, the shack dwellers then sit without electricity until he comes home. This is the routine that Mpiyake, 61, a father of nine and husband to two wives, has been living for the past nine years.
He and other residents told Sowetan they would not pay high electricity bills anymore as more than 100 people yesterday marched on Eskom's distribution office in Table View, demanding that electricity be installed in the settlement within a week.
If Eskom does not meet their demand, they said, they would uproot electricity poles in the township and burn them. Mpiyake said what also angered the residents was that Eskom promised two years ago to install electricity in the informal settlement but had not done so.
"People use candles and paraffin stoves and when they are drunk they leave them burning, which results in shack fires," said Mpiyake.
Nobongile Mfuniseli, 55, said she had been paying about R300 a month for electricity to light her shack.
Mfuniseli said she had a persistent cough and her clothes and house always smelled of paraffin. If she could afford to pay for illegal electricity, she could easily afford to pay for her own electricity box.
Community leader Chris Matomela said Eskom had promised to electrify their informal settlement in 2009 but this had not happened.
Eskom Western Cape spokesperson Jolene Henn said the informal settlement was on their priority list and would be electrified this year.
"You can't just go into an area and put a line in. We explained to them how the process works, that it takes time. Fortunately they understand. Funds are available for electrification of the area," said Henn
She said 300 shacks would get electricity boxes by April next year.
'Give us power within a week'
EVERY month Kockjeu Mpiyake pays more than R150 for electricity that is illegally connected to his two bedroomed shack from a nearby RDP house.
But this month, the electricity did not last and he was asked by the RDP house owner to pay another R150.
Even though he paid, he has not been able to use his washing machine, stove or heater. He now only uses electricity for lighting and powering his television and radio.
One RDP house owner near the Ekuphumleni informal settlement - to the west of Cape Town - illegally supplies electricity to more than 10 people in shacks. This overloads the main switch and the electricity often cuts out.
If the homeowner is out, the shack dwellers then sit without electricity until he comes home. This is the routine that Mpiyake, 61, a father of nine and husband to two wives, has been living for the past nine years.
He and other residents told Sowetan they would not pay high electricity bills anymore as more than 100 people yesterday marched on Eskom's distribution office in Table View, demanding that electricity be installed in the settlement within a week.
If Eskom does not meet their demand, they said, they would uproot electricity poles in the township and burn them. Mpiyake said what also angered the residents was that Eskom promised two years ago to install electricity in the informal settlement but had not done so.
"People use candles and paraffin stoves and when they are drunk they leave them burning, which results in shack fires," said Mpiyake.
Nobongile Mfuniseli, 55, said she had been paying about R300 a month for electricity to light her shack.
Mfuniseli said she had a persistent cough and her clothes and house always smelled of paraffin. If she could afford to pay for illegal electricity, she could easily afford to pay for her own electricity box.
Community leader Chris Matomela said Eskom had promised to electrify their informal settlement in 2009 but this had not happened.
Eskom Western Cape spokesperson Jolene Henn said the informal settlement was on their priority list and would be electrified this year.
"You can't just go into an area and put a line in. We explained to them how the process works, that it takes time. Fortunately they understand. Funds are available for electrification of the area," said Henn
She said 300 shacks would get electricity boxes by April next year.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos