Still no power for 200 Eastern Cape RDP homes after waiting more than six months for Eskom supply

The joy of getting new RDP homes has turned to frustration for hundreds of beneficiaries on Northern Node Farm in the town of Kei Road, Eastern Cape. Since receiving the homes in April, they are still without electrification.

The occupants are people evicted from various farms. The Amathole District Municipality bought Northern Node for the purpose of building them homes. The project was supposed to have started in 2004, but the first 200 houses were only completed in April this year.

Kei Road community liaison officer Vuyisa Delekile said that, so far, 200 homes have been built and a further 221 will be constructed in the next phase. Eskom is tasked with their electrification.

“We have interacted with Eskom officials, but they keep on changing dates. At first they said from May, but later said from September, but to this day they have not started,” Delekile said.

He said residents are concerned about their safety because there are no streetlights, and among many other difficulties people are unable to store perishable food.

Sydney Hiltane, who has previously never had a home with electricity, had been hopeful he’d finally get it. “The houses are of great quality, but we need electricity. We urge the government to intervene.”

Cleopatra Wotshela said they use firewood and paraffin for cooking.

“Our children cannot even iron their school uniform because non-electric irons are no longer sold, and they are unable to do homework and assignments, because without electricity, phone batteries don’t last. Sometimes learners are told to watch certain things on television, but ours cannot watch TV because we don’t have electricity,” Wotshela said.

Grade 11 pupil Lisakhanya Jakavu said she has to wake early in the morning to prepare firewood. She said she straightens her school uniform by putting it beneath the mattress she sleeps on.

Amahlathi Municipality spokesperson Nkosinathi Mbende said: “As seen in the Integrated Development Plan, Northern Node Farm is one of the places due for electrification in Eskom’s three-year plan. So we cannot say when the electrification will happen, only Eskom can answer that.”

Zama Mpondwana, from Eskom Eastern Cape, said a meeting is scheduled for 20 November with the municipality to finalise the electrification plan for 2025/26 and beyond. “The prioritisation of villages to be electrified will be discussed” and “a clear electrification plan will be derived and communicated”. DM

First published by GroundUp.