Residents rebel over BCM power failures

Buffalo City Metro’s law enforcement was on high alert yesterday as hundreds of residents took to the streets in protests against blackouts.

Violence first erupted in Nompumelelo, Beacon Bay at 4am yesterday when residents burnt tyres, wood and rubbish and closed off the road to Gonubie, Abbotsford and the Beacon Bay business hub.

By yesterday afternoon, unrest had spread to Cambridge township when residents took their protest to the N2.

At the centre of the discontent are prolonged power outages.

Nompumelelo residents said they had not had electricity since Sunday morning and Cambridge township residents said they had been in the dark for two weeks.

Dark, heavy smoke billowed from Nompumelelo in the morning as residents and police faced off.

People threw stones at police, who retaliated with stun grenades and rubber bullets. Community leader Mboneli Jamani blamed executive mayor Zukiswa Ncitha. “We are doing this because of Ncitha. She keeps promising she will attend to our issues but fails. She made us look like liars to our community,” he said.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Ward 29 secretary Pumzile Mpangalala said people had to throw away groceries. He claimed that Nompumelelo’s 7000 households had lost more than R1-million in food.

“Who is going to pay for that? We call for Eskom to be responsible for our electricity, not BCM – they are failing,” said Mpangalala.

Ward 29 councillor Makaya Bopi said residents had complained many times. “Hence I made sure the mayor is here to answer these questions. The municipality is prioritising this,” said Bopi.

The problem was due to illegal connections, he said.

By 4pm yesterday, electricity was restored to the area.

The early morning protest, which disrupted business around Beacon Bay as staff and customers had to use alternative routes, was clear by 9am.

Police and traffic officials worked hard to protect motorists and businesses. A police constable, in conversation with his colleague, said: “They no longer fear us. They are challenging us by throwing stones at us.”

Business owner Derrick Tolbat of Club 21 tavern in Nompumelelo said they were losing customers due to the power outage. “We have to buy ice at the garage at R15 per packet to try and keep our stock cold. I do have a generator but it does not manage the fridge as well – it is just for lights,” Tolbat said.

Simamnkelo Mphahlwa, the owner of a Tshisa Nyama business, has had to give away all her meat. “I had stocked up because it was month-end and all of that has gone to waste. We are scared of braaiing in the dark because we might be robbed,” she said.

A principal dealer at Buffalo Toyota, across the road from Nompumelelo, Nelius Cloete, was relieved police and firefighters arrived so quickly. “There was a disruption for staff coming into work and customers bringing in their cars for service. I did not pay much attention to it, it was just an inconvenience,” he said.

Late yesterday part of the N2 was closed when Cambridge residents started burning tyres.

They said they were copying what Nompumelelo did in the morning, with the hope of getting the local authority’s attention.

“It’s not that we’ve got nothing to do but protesting is the voice these days because authorities pay attention. The problem is electricity and if we receive nothing from the council, we are back on this main road,” said Cambridge resident leader Mbulelo Vula.

Police arrived just after 3pm to disperse residents by firing rubber bullets and throwing teargas.

N2 traffic was slow for an hour then eased later.

Resident Nomabaso Jali said their situation was the worst.

“We are a forgotten community as people live here in filth. We are not happy.”