Six days with no electricity for parts of Durban North
The resident said having no power for five days is unacceptable.
A LARGE number of households in Ward 36 are still without electricity after last weekend’s heavy rain.
Certain blocks in Umgeni Park, Parkhill and Broadway have had no power for up to six days.
Sarah Roehampton, who has been living in Durban North for 12 years, said for her, the acceptable turnaround time for faults to be repaired is 48 hours.
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“We are now in the sixth day of having no power. The only feedback we receive is from our ward councillor, Shontel de Boer. If the eThekwini Municipality could update us daily, that would ease some frustration,” she said.
“I have two children – one is a baby – so not having electricity has been such a challenge. I am so fortunate to have amazing neighbours. The ones that do have power offer to bring some boiling water, store food in the freezer and even throw an extension cord over the wall from their generator,” said Roehampton.
She said as much as residents have back-up power supplies, eventually the batteries die, and purchasing fuel for a generator becomes expensive.
“That’s why I say two days is the most a household can survive with no power. I have had enough,” she said.
Ward 36 Councillor Shontel de Boer said the situation was at ‘crisis point’.
“The feedback I received is that the electricity department is overwhelmed as the demand outweighs the supply. There are not enough contractors and staff, hence the delay,” said De Boer.
She said she would continue to update the residents when new information becomes available.
The eThekwini Municipality did not comment at the time of publishing.
