Constant Unexplained Power Outages – Total Disregard for Tshepisong Ext 7 Residents

Introduction: A Community at Its Limit City Power’s failure to provide stable electricity to our area has gone beyond inconvenience and has become systemic neglect. In Tshepisong Phase 7, now known as Extension 7, Ward 50, Line A, residents experience electricity outages almost every single day. Power disappears for hours and returns later with no warning, no explanation, and no accountability. This treatment is unacceptable for a community that pays for electricity and expects basic service delivery like any other South African citizen. No Communication, No Respect There is absolutely no communication from City Power. No SMS alerts. No public notices. No explanations. Electricity simply goes off and comes back whenever it feels like it. This shows a complete lack of respect for residents. We are expected to live blindly, adjusting our lives daily to outages that City Power refuses to explain or manage responsibly. We Are Willing to Pay — But Not to Be Abused Let it be very clear: this community does not mind paying for electricity. Residents are more than willing to pay for a service that is reliably supp**** every day, the way it should be for any law-abiding citizen. What we will not accept is being charged for electricity that is unstable, inconsistent, and frequently unavailable. Paying customers should not be punished for failures in infrastructure and governance. Elderly, Sick, and Medically Dependent Lives Are at Risk These outages are dangerous. There are elderly residents, sick people, and individuals who depend on oxygen machines and medical equipment. Daily power interruptions are not just frustrating — they are life-threatening. City Power’s actions show a disturbing disregard for human life, health, and safety. Festive Season Neglect This chaos is happening during the festive season, when: Children are home because schools are closed Families rely heavily on electricity for cooking, studying, and safety People are already under financial pressure Instead of peace and stability, residents are dealing with constant anxiety, fear, and disruption. This is not humane service delivery. ******* Connections Are Destroying the Network Extension 7 is being unfairly affected because it is combined with Leratong Village, which consists largely of RDP housing, informal settlements, and widespread ******* electricity connections. These ******* connections are overloading the system, yet no meaningful action is taken. Instead, compliant, paying residents suffer repeated outages because City Power fails to properly manage or separate infrastructure. Extension 7 Must Have Its Own Dedicated Power Supply Extension 7 is a small, formal residential area. There is absolutely no justification for it to share the same power supply with informal settlements that are riddled with ******* connections. This setup is weighing Extension 7 down and directly causing the daily outages we experience. Extension 7 urgently needs its own dedicated power supply, completely separate from Leratong Village. This would reduce overload, stabilize supply, and restore fairness. It is unreasonable, unjust, and negligent for a small, compliant community to continuously pay the price for problems it did not create. Poverty Should Not Mean Powerlessness Yes, South Africa has high unemployment. Yes, many people struggle. That reality is known. But lack of electricity must not be normalized. Poverty does not cancel out the right to dignity, safety, and basic services. Elderly people, sick residents, and children should not suffer because City Power has chosen convenience over proper planning. Final Demand to City Power We are not asking for special treatment. We are demanding basic competence and accountability. City Power must: Communicate outages clearly and honestly Explain recurring failures Address ******* connections properly Separate Extension 7’s power supply immediately Protect vulnerable residents This community deserves better. We deserve stability. We deserve respect. And we deserve electricity that works every day, not excuses.