The Rep 14 October 2022

2 Tel: (045) 839-4040 / editorial: bobeloz@therep.co.za / advertising: charodinev@therep.co.za 14 October 2022 THE R E P R ES E N TAT I V E
Protesters told landlords ‘stealing’ electricity
Continued from PAGE 1
the municipality had never issued to
them.
Independent South African National
Civic Organisation (Isanco)
representatives and traders, who claim
to have been without electricity for
three weeks, blocked the gate to the
technical services department offices at
6am, preventing EMLM employees
from entering.
They demanded that officials
address them.
After a lengthy period of waiting, all
EMLM political heads finally addressed
the crowd, except for integrated
planning economic development head
Sibusiso Mvana.
Isanco secretary Axolile Masiza
asked when people who were wrongly
disconnected would be reconnected.
Masiza added he was glad
councillor Ongama Adonis wanted
another meeting to discuss the land
issue.
“I am not sure about the basis of this
initiative as it seems to be focused on
electricity, but there is a serious land
issue in Komani. There are people who
are not here who are operating the
same businesses near the prison area.
“They could not get space around
the CBD. We need to address these
issues.
“We are not fighting you and we are
not here for a political agenda. We are
here because we want to assist the
government that is leading us. But we
will not tolerate people being taken for
granted in the process,” Masiza said.
Isanco chair Solomzi Ntabeni
wanted to know why hardware stores
were able to operate in the area, wh i l e
they had to wait for meetings.
He said there were other traders
operating from containers who were
not disconnected but were getting
power illegally.
One of the traders said his goods
were confiscated and his customers
who were expecting their items were
upset with him.
Another trader, who runs a tyre
business from a container, said: “Our
businesses are in jeopardy because we
are not working and taking care of our
families. I have four children and a wife
who are dependent on my business. I
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POWER ISSUE: Traders operating from containers in the Komani CBD, whose electricty was disconnected by Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, protest at
the technical service department offices on Wednesday demanding that they be reconnected Picture: ABONGILE SOUNDWANA
have not paid my rent because of the
terminated electricity.”
Another trader, Tabisa, who runs a
hair salon, said she could not operate
her business without electricity.
“My power was disconnected. I am
relying on someone else’s salon that is
using a generator and I have to pay
petrol to be able to work.
“If the customer pays me R100 and I
have to pay for petrol, I have no gain in
my business. I have to use a dryer and I
need to have hot water. I have to take
care of my child and pay rent.”
Another trader, who is a welder,
said: “My clients are calling me a crook
for not doing the work I was supposed
to do for them. We were not warned
before the power termination.
“They were supposed to call first
and inform us first and give us reasons
❝
You might say
officials acted
wrong but it
could be that
they were
warning you for
a long time and
you were not
willing to cooperate
with
them. I am not
sure but we need
to get their side
of the story
Office:
24 Prince Alfred Street, Komani
Postal Address: PO Box 453, Komani, 5319
Telephone: 045 839 4040 / Fax: 045 839 4059
Product Manager: Chris van Heerden, vanheerdenc@arena.africa
Editor:
Zintle Bobelo, bobeloz@therep.co.za
Sales:
Charodine Visagie, charodinev@therep.co.za
www.therep.co.za
@RepKomani
as to why they were going to be cutting
off our electricity.”
Another unidentified trader, who
had sold fruit in Cathcart Road, said
after being forced to leave the area last
month, three boxes of fruit that she had
paid for became rotten.
“I could not sell, they came to say I
should take my things and leave and
that I could no longer operate there.
“Mzileni comes and says ‘I do not
want you here’ but does not give you
direction on where you should go.”
Corporate services portfolio head
Papama Madubedube said the matter
would be discussed at the mayoral
committee meeting set for Tu e s d ay.
Madubedube said if traders wanted
a peaceful arrangement with the
municipality they would have to agree
to certain terms and conditions.
He said there were issues that the
local economic department portfolio
head, Sibusiso Mvana, would have to
deal with and that he would be
informed by the mayor, Thembeka
Buni, in the meeting.
EMLM budget and treasury head
Unathi Galada, who acknowledged the
t ra d e r s ’ pain, told them to write down
their names for their cases to be
attended to.
“We want a municipality that has
law and order. The municipality has
lost about R79m in electricity and you
know people are stealing electricity.
“Some of the municipal officials
were involved in connecting you with
electricity, we know that.”
He called Isanco leaders to also
assist the municipality in the campaign.
He said it could be that EMLM
officials who were accused of
removing hawkers had acted after
traders had refused to comply.
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“You might say officials acted wrong
but it could be that they were warning
you for a long time and you were not
willing to co-operate with them.
“I am not sure but we need to get
their side of the story,” he said.
He said people operating hardware
stores on the main street were not
allowed to, even if the municipality did
not own the buildings they operated in.
“I am leading this campaign. We
must be able to work together, people
must stop stealing electricity.
“We know people are stealing
electricity from working municipal
officials. People must not think that we
are not smart, we are also clever.”
He said the municipality wanted to
work with hawkers and traders to come
up with solutions.
He said he considered the matter as
urgent.
Madubedube said the municipality
was aware that some landlords were
allegedly stealing electricity, while
making traders pay thousands.
He urged traders to report illegal
connections, and that they could do so
a n o ny m o u s l y.
“You cannot be leasing containers
with people who do not have a
relationship with the municipality
because the municipality is in business
to collect revenue. The legislation
protects it in that regard. Before we
can confiscate merchandise, we need
to have proper storage areas.”
He said traders could not r e c e ive
permits without being on the
municipality’s database and that if
businesses were not legitimate and
registered, the municipality would not
recognise them.
EMLM human settlement portfolio
head Ongama Adonis said he would
Frontier Hospital searching
for family of deceased man
ZINTLE BOBELO
Frontier Hospital social workers
are searching for the relatives of
deceased Dumisani Ginyigazi
of KwaZakhele in Mlungisi.
According to hospital social
worker Babalwa Pruscent,
Ginyigazi was brought to the
health institution by emergency
medical services after he was
find out whether the company that
leased containers to traders in town
had an agreement with the
m u n i c i p a l i t y.
“I will check how far along is the
issue of lease agreements and why they
are not signed. The municipality is
highly legislated. We do not do things
our way.
“You cannot wake up and operate
anywhere you want. The municipality
wants to use Cathcart Road to attract
investors. When we sit together we
inform you about the areas containers
and hawkers can be able to do business
in. We are planning to establish a land
management committee where you
will be represented.”
Technical services portfolio head
Mhlangabezi Mangcotywa said the
department’s employees who were
doing illegal connections should be
named and shamed by the community.
“Not everyone does this, but the
rotten potatoes must be dealt with.
“The municipal campaign to
disconnect illegal connections is still
continuing. We will do it until the town
is clean. Illegal connections are eating
away at the municipal purse, which is
not able to give services to the
community because of the people
stealing power. We should not be
ashamed to say that to you.”
He called for people who loved
Komani to assist EMLM in the
campaign.
Traders and hawkers attended the
meeting scheduled for Tuesday but the
municipal officials were a no-show.
On Thursday, before going to print,
Isanco and traders were back protesting
at the technical services department
demanding attention from top
municipal officials.
found near a liquor store in
town. He was admitted on
September 16 but died on
September 26. His date of birth
is March 6 1988.
“Anyone who might know
him is kindly requested to
contact the social worker at
Frontier Hospital on 045-808-
4320/4200 or visit the Dirkeson
wa r d ,” said Pruscent.