STELLALANDER-DELAREYVILLE: Residents and businesses across Ottosdal, Delareyville, and Sannieshof have faced severe disruptions following prolonged electricity outages, highlighting ongoing infrastructure failures and governance challenges within the Tswaing Local Municipality.
Ottosdal has been without electricity for five consecutive days, the second extended outage the town has experienced in November. The blackout has resulted in significant hardship, affecting local commerce, essential services, and daily life. Delareyville’s Driekant Plots area experienced similar difficulties after ten electricity poles collapsed during recent rainfall, a failure attributed to long-standing maintenance backlogs. The outages have also impacted access to basic necessities. ATMs have been rendered inoperable, local bakeries have been forced to suspend operations, Old Age Homes have struggled to provide care, and many households have been left without lighting, heating, or refrigeration. In addition, a large portion of Ottosdal’s residents have been without water since the previous Wednesday, adding to growing concerns about the humanitarian implications of the ongoing disruptions. The Tswaing electrical network has deteriorated over several years due to ageing infrastructure and insufficient maintenance. Ottosdal’s ring feed, reported faulty since 2011, remains unrepaired. Recent incidents in Delareyville and Sannieshof included a transformer explosion in which electricians were severely injured; one technician required emergency airlift to Milpark Hospital for extensive burn treatment and was hospitalised for more than a month. Compounding the crisis, several service providers have reportedly refused to continue assisting the municipality, citing unpaid invoices. The municipality has been under Section 139(5) intervention since August 2021, yet concerns persist about financial mismanagement and the lack of progress in stabilising services. National Treasury has also warned that an upcoming equitable share allocation may be withheld if governance and financial issues are not addressed. In response to the worsening situation, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tswaing has written to the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Oageng Molapisi, requesting urgent intervention. The party also intends to address correspondence to Mayor Norah Mahlangu, Acting Municipal Manager Boorman Phutiagae, Technical Director Thabo Meerken and Chief Financial Officer Johannes Mogoemang, urging the appointment of qualified electrical specialists to assess, repair, and upgrade the power network across all three towns. Residents across Ottosdal, Sannieshof, and Delareyville continue to call for reliable services, improved infrastructure maintenance, and decisive leadership to address the escalating crisis.
