Residents of Ivoorhout Street in Delft South say they have endured months, and in some cases years, of electricity problems, with one woman reporting six months without power and an 86-year-old resident forced to cook over an open fire.
With the local government elections scheduled for November 4, residents interviewed by IOL say they want their electricity problems addressed before politicians ask for their votes.
“Before we vote, we first want help,” said Isobel Klein, 56, who said she had lived in the area for 30 years.
Residents described spending already limited incomes on candles, paraffin and gas, struggling to prepare meals and wash clothes, and becoming increasingly frustrated with attempts to secure assistance.
Six months without electricity
Klein said she had repeatedly contacted councillors for help but had yet to see a resolution.
“I have sent emails to the councillors, but it seems every route I take to get assistance falls on deaf ears,” she said.
Without electricity, basic household tasks have become more difficult and expensive.
“We live off SASSA and struggle to buy candles, paraffin, and gas daily. School clothes need to be washed and ironed; food needs to be made. Yet, we remain in the dark. It’s not right,” Klein said.
She said the prolonged outage had left her doubtful that the electricity would be restored despite her efforts to report the problem.
“I pay my rates, but we can’t even get assistance. Things will change if we get a new councillor,” she said.
86-year-old resident cooks over an open fire
Another resident, who asked not to be named, said she was 86 and had expected to live more comfortably in her later years.
Instead, she said, preparing food had become a daily struggle.
“How can we live like this? How can they just do nothing for us? I have to make food on a fire. I thought I would be living comfortably in my house, but no,” she said.
She also described feeling frustrated by what she regarded as dismissive responses when she sought assistance.
“I sit in the dark, and when I ask people for assistance, they have such bad attitudes, like we did this to ourselves,” she said.
Her account echoed the concerns of other residents who said they had sought help but remained without reliable electricity.
Resident fears exposed wiring could cause fire
Hendalene Bosch, 62, said her electricity problems had persisted for six years.
She described disconnected wiring at her home and other cables running across the property, which she feared could cause a fire.
“My house’s wires were cut off, and now illegal wires run all over my house. If the wires burn, my house will go up in flames. We have tried everything to get help, but no one listens,” Bosch said.
Bosch, who said she takes chronic medication, described struggling to prepare meals.
“I have to eat dry bread so I can take my medication,” she said.
The residents’ accounts highlight how electricity problems affect daily household tasks, including cooking, washing clothes and managing already limited incomes.
Candidate blames service delivery failures
People’s Movement for Change representative Neil Engelbrecht said residents’ frustration reflected years of promises without lasting improvements.
“The support is dropping because of service delivery and empty promises,” he said.
Engelbrecht alleged that illegal connections from a nearby informal settlement were disrupting the electricity supply to Ivoorhout Street and surrounding roads.
“This whole street (Ivoorhout) is currently without electricity. People from the informal settlement have even tapped into the substation. There are a further nine roads without electricity because of this,” he said.
These allegations have not established the technical cause or full extent of the reported outages.
The City of Cape Town has previously identified Delft as an Eskom electricity supply area, while distinguishing its own responsibility for maintaining municipal streetlights.
Engelbrecht said repeated disappointment over service delivery had weakened residents’ interest in voting.
“People are not interested in voting simply because of the promises they are fed. While our party tells us not to make promises, my promise is that I will fight until the bitter end to help our community,” he said.
Residents want action before November 4
Residents expressed different views on how they would approach the election.
Bosch said Engelbrecht’s efforts to assist the community had influenced her voting decision.
“If I must vote, I will vote for Neil because he is the only person trying to help us,” she said.
For Klein, however, the immediate priority remained getting the electricity restored after six months without power.
Her message to those seeking residents’ votes was clear.
“Before we vote, we first want help,” she said.