While the problematic Princess informal settlement is being ignored, the City of Johannesburg has approved the electrification of two settlements in Region G, south of the city.

A R423 million project to electrify Thembelihle and Lawley Station informal settlements have been approved and has left Ward 85 councillor Carl Mann gawking at the city’s lack of cooperation locally.

Last week CoJ announced the big project will commence this year and be completed by end of the next financial year. R323 million is to be spent electrifying Thembelihle while R100 million goes to enabling Lawley Station to access the power grid. The community will be receiving a hybrid electrification, an energy mix of photovoltaic panels and portable gas bottles as well as gas stoves. More than 9 000 households is to benefit from the project.

Meanwhile, 2 200-odd registered voters in Princess and their issues with access to the grid, which has drawn many to the business of illegal connections, are being ignored. Earlier this year Carte Blanche mentioned Princess in one of its episodes as a prime example of illegal connections going haywire, local authorities being unable to curb it.

MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Matshidiso Mfikoe in a relevant press release proudly mentioned CoJ having electrified more than 10 human settlements in the past five years, including Fleurhof and Tshepisong West. She, however, failed to mention where Princess ranks on the priority list for electrification.

“The issues here aren’t being taken seriously, nothing is getting done and we’re getting nowhere,” an exasperated Mann said.

“I’m not even getting feedback on a simple problem such as Pannevis Street, nevermind the continuous illegal connections over Albertina Sisulu Road and the vandalism of substations in the area.

“It is beyond City Power to even just lock the substations so it is more difficult for izinyoka to gain access.”

Mann argues the city isn’t budging on electrifying Princess, as is his main focus at the moment, because stakeholders don’t want to provide infrastructure they will have to remove or alter once more housing projects in the area commence.

“If the Department of Housing did their job and started these housing projects when they were approved and budgeted for in 2006, we wouldn’t still be battling with Princess,” he said.

The Record contacted Mfikoe for comment only to hear she regards electrifying Princess as “useless expenditure”, despite the constant battle with electricity theft..

“We have taken the decision that, when we know residents will be relocated or moved into local housing projects in the next five years, a settlement will not be electrified.

“We view this as useless expenditure, a waste, and the ward councillor and committee in the area knows this.”

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