Tsakani – After weeks without electricity, Langaville Ext 7A residents have finally received a response from the CoE about a prolonged power outage that began on May 26.
Residents believe that months of recurring power issues weakened the system, ultimately causing the transformer failure that led to the extended blackout.
According to Ward Clr Njabulo Mbonani, the broader Ext 7 area initially lost power on the evening of May 26. While electricity was restored to some sections by May 28, Ext 7A remained in the dark.
Mbonani confirmed that he had repeatedly reported the matter to the municipality’s Energy Department. CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini acknowledged the ongoing power supply challenges in Ext 7.
“Outages are largely caused by cable theft and premature equipment failure due to network overloading, which results from illegal connections and excessive electricity use,” Dlamini explained.
He noted that electricity demand in the area had increased significantly in recent years, especially during winter, when consumption typically exceeds the system’s capacity.
“In the medium term, there are plans to upgrade the Tsakani substation to improve supply capacity,” he said.
Dlamini urged residents to co-operate with the Energy Department by removing illegal connections and allowing meter normalisation. He also stressed the importance of paying for services and using electricity responsibly.
“Residents’ concerns are taken seriously, but the root causes – illegal connections and overuse – must be addressed together. The community and the municipality need to collaborate for lasting solutions,” he added.
The CoE encourages residents to report service delivery issues via the call centre (0860 54 3000), by email or through the My CoE mobile App.
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