TABLE OF CONTENT - Emfuleni Local Municipality

Valuable time and money has to be directed on a daily basis to rectify problems caused
by this theft. Theft on live networks often leads to secondary damages of which the
repair cost has to fund from the existing maintenance budgets.
5.1.2 Level of Services
There is no backlog in the provision of service connections (electricity) to all proclaimed
and developed areas. Applications for electricity connections are processed as they are
received and the necessary connection fees paid. All electricity customers receive a full
service but it is differentiated in terms of connection size in relation to connection fees
paid. A large percentage of customers are metered via prepaid meters, which facilitates
the management of usage by customers. The level of service (20ampere connections)
funded by DME via the electrification funding is the cause of much equipment failure due
to overloading, a fact which was even more experienced during the past financial year
when a number of transformers failed due to continuous overloading. It is felt that DME
should increase its funding per connection to allow a connection size of at least 40
ampere to prevent overloading problems.
5.1.3 Services backlog
Due to the lack of financial resources over the past number of years a backlog in repair
and maintenance as well as refurbishment and network expansion has built up. This
backlog can only be addressed by sufficient capital investment into the electricity
infrastructure. It is difficult to quantify this backlog as the master plan study to determine
the extent thereof has at yet been completed. Requirements for the 2008/09 financial
year however indicate a requirement of approximately R60m.
Between Eskom and the Municipality there is 100% coverage of the area as far as the
provision of electricity is concerned. There are however some informal settlements
where no services are provided as these dwellings are placed on unproclaimed land.
There is still a backlog in the provision of public lighting on some through roads and in
some of the previously disadvantaged areas. The extent of this has not yet been
determined as no funds were provided to draft a public lighting master plan.
5.1.4 Infrastructure
Although the municipality has been able to assist all developers and applicants by
providing electricity, the low level of investment in the upgrading/refurbishment/
expansion of the electricity infrastructure has led to a situation that new developments
can no longer be accommodated without major capital injections. It is therefore
absolutely essential that the municipality direct more of the surplus generated by the sale
of electricity to the capital requirements of the electricity function. It is also our
experience that there is a boom in the development of vacant land as well as the
densification of existing developments, which is placing a huge demand on the provision
of electricity and most probably other services as well. The electricity infrastructure will
not be able to handle the increasing demand for electricity and the expansion,
refurbishment, upgrading thereof must start without further delay.
In order to accommodate new developments the developers are required to assist with
the funding for network expansions.
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