A storm is once more brewing as Laudium residents continue to complain about the ANC-led Tshwane Council, concerning poor service delivery in the area.
This follows a fierce thunderstorm sweeping through Laudium this past Sunday afternoon (Jan 18).
The heavy rain and fierce winds caused widespread damage to many parts of Laudium, resulting in at least 5 roofs flying off their buildings, a number of trees uprooted with branches breaking off and a tower collapsing at the Mosque on 1st Ave. The downpour also caused walls to collapse, electricity cables to snap and power outages in many parts of Laudium. The roof of the old Bericks Cafe on 8th Ave was also blown off and some homes and businesses were flooded due the heavy rains. Once more Laudium Disaster Management (LDM) assisted in removing the huge trees blocking off streets, by cutting the trees to pieces and then clearing the streets. This, despite the ANC-led Tshwane Council stopping the LDM from assisting the community in extinguishing small fires, but fortunately the courts eventually overturned the Council’s decision. However, even three days after the
storm, residents of the Emerald and Pearl Str area complained, on Tuesday (Jan 20), to the Laudium Sun, that they were still sitting in the dark, as the Council had not yet restored the power outage after Sunday’s storm, which tripped the electricity supply to the area. The prolonged outage has caused frustration among residents, who added that the delay by the Council has caused undue hardship for them to continue with their daily activities without electricity, including cooking, bathing, studying and working.
Roshan Aboo of Emerald Street, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “The power outage occurred during the big storm on Sunday [January 18], when a large electricity cable snapped. As soon as our lights tripped we reported it to the Council, but there has been no proper response from them. In fact Council workers came to look at the situation, but nothing was actually done, and we are still waiting for the power to be restored. It is now three days and yet no real timeline has been given from the Council’s office or the Councillor as to when our electricity will be back. This is really unacceptable as almost everything we do in our homes requires electricity. Without it, basic household tasks such as cooking, cleaning, bathing, studying, and even charging phones or using medical devices becomes very difficult. Life becomes chaotic and we cannot manage our daily routines properly. The Council must take this matter seriously and restore our power immediately. We understand that the storm was severe, but that should not give Council workers the excuse to delay action or ignore the needs of residents. We cannot always be treated as if we are second class citizens. It is the Council’s duty to ensure that even during emergencies, residents are supported and problems are addressed promptly. Immediate action and clear communication from the Council are necessary to resolve the situation and prevent further frustrations that residents face.”
Vally Padayachee, also of Emerald Street, told the Laudium Sun, “Service delivery in Laudium has gone to the dogs. There has been no electricity on Emerald Street and the surrounding areas for three days now and the Council has been hopelessly useless in attending to the matter. Our Ward Councillor only knows how to make fake promises and nothing else. Living without electricity is extremely difficult. Daily life is disrupted and basic tasks like cooking, cleaning, bathing and studying cannot be done properly. It is frustrating and unfair that residents are left without power for days while the Council does not take the situation seriously. This is not just inconvenient; it is unsafe, especially for elderly people, children and anyone who relies on electricity for essential services. The lack of proper service delivery shows how badly the area has deteriorated. Laudium is really going down because residents cannot depend on the Council to respond to emergencies or provide basic services. We as residents feel abandoned and frustrated by the lack of action, as promises are made but no real solutions are delivered by our Councillor. People in the community are struggling, and it is insane to have to live like this in the 21st century.”
Emerald Street resident, Adila Patel, told the Laudium Sun, “We have not had electricity since Sunday [January 18] and it has now been three days with no sign of it being restored. This is really bad, especially because we have children at home and need electricity to cook and do household activities. It is hard to survive without power for so long. The Council and our Councillor, Naeem Patel, must consider how serious this is and think about what would happen if their own homes were left without electricity for days.”
Residents told the Laudium Sun that electricity to the area was restored on Wednesday, Jan 21, four days later.