Langaville Ext 7A residents left in the dark for over a week due to burnt transformer  

Tsakani – Residents of Langaville Extension 7 and 7A have been without electricity for more than a week following a power outage that began last week Monday.

The area has been experiencing power supply issues for months, which residents believe contributed to a transformer burning out.

According to Ward Councillor Njabulo Mbonani, the broader Ext 7 area lost power on May 26 at approximately 19:15. While electricity was restored in other sections on May 28, Ext 7A remained without power.

“This means that Ext 7A has been without electricity since last week Monday. We were told that the transformer had burnt out, which is why the area still has no power,” said Mbonani.

Mbonani confirmed he has reported the matter to the municipality’s energy department on multiple occasions. He noted that this is not the first time the transformer has failed and that ongoing faults have occurred in the area since early this year.

“Throughout the week, electricity kept going on and off. An electrician came out to inspect the situation but left without providing feedback, and we have had no updates since,” he said.

He emphasised that the persistent issue is having a severe impact on the community.

“I just want this issue to be resolved. Residents of Ext 7A constantly face this problem. Even during scheduled load-shedding, the transformer tends to blow, causing prolonged outages.

“We need a permanent solution. Business owners cannot operate as usually due to this issue,” mentioned Mbonani.

Residents are calling for urgent intervention from the municipality to replace the faulty transformer and implement a long-term fix to prevent recurring outages.

Resident Philani Rikhotso raised concerns about the issues, stating that they have affected his work as he works from home.

“I am unable to work from home due to not having power. We have food in the fridge which may spoil. It’s winter; we need hot water for everything, including to bathe. Imagine the area has no electricity and water at the same time.

“Our phones need electricity to charge. We are unhappy. We buy electricity every month, and having it taken away without a reason is not nice,” said Rikhotso.

In a demand for answers, frustrated residents marched to the Brakpan Customer Care Service offices on May 29. Sector two sub-forum CPF deputy chairperson Kamohelo Shabalala said the group was able to meet with senior technical officer Vincent Kaizer.

“He promised to respond to our concerns within two days via email. He responded through email but sent the responses to incorrect email addresses.

“He also assured us that a new cable would be provided to help resolve the issue. We need the problem fixed; this outage has affected us endlessly.”

Residents continue to await action, calling on the energy department to urgently prioritise the replacement of the burnt transformer and the installation of the promised cable to prevent further suffering.

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