Cape Town - Forty families have had their homes connected with electricity after waiting for more than a year, while others who have disabled children are still living in the dark.
The City’s Eindhoven housing project amounted to R33 million.
On Monday, The City’s Mayco Member for Energy, Councillor Beverly van Reenen was on site and carried out the process of switching on the lights.
The area falls under Eskom.
Van Reenen said the electricity would make people’s lives comfortable, where they once battled to complete tasks such as after hours school or cooking.
“At this particular project, the City installed all internal electricity connections, including plug points and light switches, inside the units.
“However, Eskom provides the electricity supply and connects the homes to the grid.
“We thank all the project teams and Eskom for their hard work in connecting the residents’ homes. Legal electricity connections reduce the safety risk of open flames and safely extend the productive hours of our households, for learners to do their school work and for enhanced family time. Access to electricity also opens up doors for entrepreneurship,” she said.
Mayco Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi said beneficiaries were given the option to move into their home before the installation of electricity and to avoid vandalism.
“The City’s Eindhoven project is one of our flagship housing projects in the area and we are happy to see the homes connected. Due to the typically high risk of vandalism and unlawful occupation of completed Breaking New Ground (BNG) homes, the City’s Human Settlements Directorate affords beneficiaries of its housing projects the choice to move into their homes before the electricity connections have been installed.
“The state-subsidised Breaking New Ground (BNG) houses are certified ready for occupation as per the Western Cape Government’s minimum building standards. Should a housing project be located in an Eskom supply area, houses are certified ready for occupation without electricity as Eskom provides electricity at a later stage as per their Standard Operating Procedures.
‘We thank Eskom and the City’s officials for their dedication in connecting the homes as quickly as possible, and look forward to seeing many more homes in the project being connected to the grid over the coming month,” Booi said.
Eskom’s, Western Cape acting general manager, Mbulelo Yedwa also attended the ceremony.
Meanwhile, Shirley de Bruin has been battling without electricity.
De Bruin is one of many residents in Eindhoven who had waited between 15 and 30 years for adequate housing from the City and are now in a home, but has had no electricity for months.
Last year, the Weekend Argus reported on of how several residents said they had waited for housing, making applications during the 1990s.
“A house nearly burnt down here because of a candle, we were not those who received electricity yet, we were told we would be getting it soon but they have not indicated when.
“We were part of the presentation Monday but we didn’t get electricity. They said 133 homes would get electricity, but it didn't happen.
“We can lose our children if nothing is going to happen and there is animosity now between residents.
“Eskom said they are giving people lives but they are killing us slowly,” she said.
Mirna Joubert received electricity on Monday and feels both happy and sad.
“I have lived without electricity for eight months and now we have electricity and it was an overwhelming feeling, but we were also sad because many of the disabled families have not received it and it is very unfair,” she said.
Weekend Argus