Jason Milford, spokesperson for the Nama-Khoi Local Municipality, has criticised the individuals for using strong language to express their dissatisfaction with service delivery. Speaking on the Radio NFM Breakfast show on Thursday, Milford addressed grievances community members had voiced on social media.
The complaints stem from a power outage that has persisted for over ten days in Nababeep and surrounding areas since Tuesday, 4 June. According to a public notice from the municipality, the cause was a faulty transformer. “We reported that a critical transformer had blown, resulting in an extensive power outage,” the statement read.
The prolonged outage has led to spoiled frozen food and disrupted daily activities that depend on electricity, prompting strong reactions from the community. The municipality initially aimed to complete repairs by Tuesday, June 11th, but extensive damage extended the repair timeline despite the team’s round-the-clock efforts to restore power.
Community member Ronel Williams expressed her frustration, saying, “Dit is so onaanvaarbaar. Was dit nou in Springbok, waar die Burgermeester, Speaker en Munisipale bestuurder van Nama Khoi Local Municipality woon, was die herstelwerk baie gou afgehandel. Nababeep se mense sit al vir 9 dae sonder krag. Eers was dit gesê 1 – 3 dae, toe kom kennisgewing uit 11 Junie en nogsteeds sit die areas sonder krag. Dit is regtig verregaande en totaal onaanvaarbaar.” She highlighted the unacceptable delay and compared it to quicker repairs in areas where municipal leaders reside.
Milford urged community members to maintain respectful language and decorum despite their frustrations. “We acknowledge the community’s anger and are committed to resolving these challenges promptly. We ask for patience and understanding as maintenance experts work towards a solution,” he said.
He confirmed that the electrical teams have been working to rebuild the transformer and restore the power supply. However, Milford noted that these electrical issues have been ongoing for over twenty years. “The current municipality inherited these challenges from previous administrations. We are trying to mitigate them, but the municipality is financially strained, with half of the budget spent on maintenance,” he explained.
