A Delft family says they have been living in darkness for nearly a month and have not gotten any help from Eskom despite numerous calls.
Zaida Madatt, 23, said her Maartlelie Crescent home in Roosendal has been without krag since April 25 after a fire near their house destroyed cables.
“Our next-door neighbour had a shack that burned down the week before Ramadaan and now our house and the two houses around us have been without electricity since then.
“We now have to go to the neighbours across the road to borrow buckets of hot water so we can wash or make a cup of tea. We also have to ask them to borrow power to charge our phones and now we have become a las for them,” says Zaida.
“Every day we have to buy like R200 worth of candles just so that we have light in our house and we have to buy food all the time which of course has become very expensive.”
She says her 16-year-old niece and 15-month nephew have breathing problems along with their 85-year-old grandmother who is in need of constant medical care.
“We have been calling Eskom all the time but they just don’t come out despite them making promises all the time.”
Zaida added that her neighbour in Amandel Street, Priscilla Leemon, had the same issue and after they contacted the Daily Voice (Power’s off for a month, May 12), their electricity was restored two days later.
“I am hoping the same can happen for us.”
Despite a message sent to the power supplier with two reference numbers, Eskom failed to provide comment, although a representative told the Daily Voice that “the matter will be looked into”.