“Damaged wires will kill us” - residents

It is almost three weeks after devastating winds have ripped through most parts of Vhembe, leaving a trail of massive destruction of property and infrastructure in the area.

One such area that was adversely affected is Maniini K, just outside Thohoyandou.

A big tree fell on some electricity lines and the live wires have become a threat to the community, who fear that lives will be lost if they are not removed immediately.  Residents claim that they have been to the electricity supplier, Eskom, on several occasions but have not found redress in the matter.

Community leader Fhatuwani Mashamba, the block chairperson on disasters, safety and security in the township, said he had reported the fallen live wires to Eskom on a number of occasions, but each time they promised to come and fix the problem, which they did not do. “We are faced with a big problem here. Live electricity wires are a real danger to the community and we do not know why Eskom is taking such a long time to respond to it. Maybe they are waiting for someone to be electrocuted and then they will act. An employee of Eskom even came here and promised to come back, which he did not do,” said Mashamba.

Cllr Maria Ramanala, who stays in the area, said they were very worried about the safety of people in the area. “We fail to understand why they are not assisting us because Eskom's offices are just a stone’s throw from here. I have been personally engaging with Eskom, but nothing is happening and this is making residents very angry. They feel Eskom does not care about their lives and those of their children,” said Ramanala.

Eskom spokesperson in the area Mr Thiofhi Ratshitanga said the problem had been resolved.  "We received the complaint from the residents and we did not waste time and attended to it. It is now resolved, “he said.

At the time of going to press, residents were still complaining that the electricity poles were still on the ground, which still posed a danger to the residents.

Date:29 November 2013

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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