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Our own mini armageddon!

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barry_1
Super Contributor
Lydenburg,Sabie,Graskop has been described as "The worst muncipality in South Africa ! " No understatement I can tell you.Now Eskom has threatened to cut off our electricity on Thursday ,unless they pay R150 million by then owing.That means although we personally pay in advance for our electricity,no water pumps,no electricity eventually no sewerage works.Surely this can't,happen?...Surely Glencore-Xtrata,Checkers,Pick and Pay,Shoprite,all four banks any body out can exert pressure on them not to cut off the electricity.Many people in this town have health problems and we need electricity.Help!
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9 REPLIES 9
Brommie
Frequent Contributor
Big companies have emergency generators. Do not expect help from them, help yourself. We in the Nkomazi area are in the same boat. Electricity grid overloaded. Sometimes we have water, more often not. I have a battery back-up converter system running a UPS system on the fridge/freezer, Tv and computer, a cheap solar panel for running emergency LED lights. Gas stove, 3 x 20 L containers for water to cook, brush teeth and shave when there is no running water. I am also a happy supporter of our local tax payers association.
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barry_1
Super Contributor
Thanks for the ideas.Small business managed to get a court order,posponing the event to the 19 of November....I must point out that these are retirement towns where older people all cannot afford generators.
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Brommie
Frequent Contributor
Establish friendships with your town's manager of public works. Make friends with the people repairing electricity and water supply after hours. Make friends with the leader of the opposition party. Once these friendships are established, influence them, question their every move.
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EyeNvest
Contributor
We are also members of this unique RSA club in Parys. Our Municipality also owes Eskom close to R200 m We paid at least R400m for electricity the difference is profit to the Municipality GONE! Prepaid meters in retirement village - goods paid for but when Eskom cuts supply no electricity. Can't sue because catch 22 - municipality loses and ratepayers (prepaid ) pick up the lawyers tab. Water supply very erratic. Locals do have a "relationship" with M Mng but progress is SLOW. Eish
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sasa
Regular Contributor
Thank goodness for Cape Town ;)
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topgun
Super Contributor
Well, what was to be expected realistically? The ethnic cleansing of experienced white skills, the destruction of institutional memory, wholesale transformation, cadre deployment based on patronage and party loyalty combined with a culture of impunity and a dearth of management skills will inevitably result in the devastation now being rolled out in the central and northern parts of the country. Numerous municipalities face the same predicament; lacking qualified engineers and/or accounting skills, many are bankrupt owing to excessive staff numbers, outright theft and unsustainable, non-contributing demographics. According to Eskom, 90% of Soweto doesn’t pay for its electricity with arrears now exceeding R3bn. Just this past week, I have read about water rations being imposed in Rustenburg and Middelburg MP, not because of drought but owing to rapid population growth in these towns as well as underinvestment in infrastructure. Existing poorly maintained capacity is simply inadequate to see out the winters. And so the litany goes on. Many towns in the Free State have been without water for months. Large parts of Witbank/eMalahleni often experience both electricity outages and intermittent water supply for days on end. Several Krugersdorp suburbs have been experiencing erratic water supplies for the past couple of weeks. These are just some examples. The destruction of infrastructure, decaying and potholed roads and severely polluted rivers with raw sewage flowing into streams owing to broken pumps are reported on regularly. And nothing is done about it. Central government itself is caught in a state of paralysis, too smug and incapacitated to act. Broken down public hospitals, the inability to cost and approve large infrastructure projects, internal squabbling, massive corruption etc. are slowly grinding away at the edifice of state. The country has simply crossed a tipping point. Gordon Mulholland in a Business Times column last week noted that the government now employs 3.03m people with public service costs consuming 12% of our GDP (excl. the SOE’s) – this compares with Russia (3.7%), Brazil (4.4%) and Nigeria (4%). This also excludes the battery of consultants, often employed in corrupt arrangements. Unfortunately big business lacks the courage to confront government and the nefarious ideology that has created this catastrophe. Why will this trend reverse? One only has to peer across the Limpopo to see where this is heading…
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klapka
Super Contributor
a good outburst Topgun, says it all.
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barry_1
Super Contributor
ABSOLUTELY....We probably will never be able to sell our properties at any descent price.I am thinking of selling at what i payed for it!....i have unable to settle my disputes with the muncipality as they do not keep appointments....Blundered into a couple of wrong offices there the other day.They were loaded with staff each sitting at desks with no papers or work going on...they had a radio playing music.In the second office there was a drinking party going on at 2pm in the afternoon.We have no fire department any more,I don't know whats happened to the fire engines!....we used to pour cement into the potholes at night....Now we do it in broard daylight as we know no one will stop us!
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redridinghood
Occasional Contributor
I drove through your town the other day Barry. Fortunately, I managed to negotiate the potholed roads intact. I can only sympathise. Many business people here in Gauteng are moving their families down to CT and do the weekly commute as the northern suburbs of Jhb are in a similar state.
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