Evaton residents in Emfuleni Local Municipality continue to endure the harsh reality of living without electricity, eighteen months after Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi committed to having power restored in this township by 24 March 2024. The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns Lesufi’s failure to act on his promises and continued lies about the current situation. We demand urgent action to resolve this crisis.
The struggles faced by Evaton residents were evident during the DA’s oversight inspection yesterday, during which we engaged directly with community members who shared their painful experiences of living without electricity, in some cases for over ten years without any government intervention.
The elderly expressed their frustration, saying they cannot keep food fresh and use their fridges without electricity. They lamented being unable to sleep at night due to fear induced by frequent house break-ins, which resulted from inadequate lighting at night. Some residents expressed frustration about the costs of using paraffin and gas for cooking.
The lack of electricity is also affecting businesses and learners who can’t study at night and compete for jobs when they don’t have access to electricity.
These are real accounts from citizens of our province who are being denied access to a fundamental right despite Lesufi’s claims during the 2024 State of the Province Address that transformers had been delivered and electricity restored in Emfuleni as part of his Energy Crisis Response Plan.
See the photos here, here and here.
Not only are these true stories of Evaton residents that the DA has been raising through our councillors in Emfuleni and members in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, but they are also reflective of the petition submitted to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), whose recommendations are yet to be implemented by the Lesufi-led government.
This is unacceptable; Lesufi and his executive must go to Emfuleni and see what their neglect is doing to our people. As a result of their neglect, Evaton needs transformers and cables as they have been stripped.
The DA is considering a motion for debate in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on the failure to electrify townships and urban areas that have endured years without electricity. We demand accountability for why Lesufi’s energy programme has flopped despite millions poured into it.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would have resolved Evaton’s electricity crisis promptly, replacing or repairing transformers so no resident endures daily life without electricity.