Open letter to Joburg mayor: iLIVE

This is an open letter to Johannesburg Executive Mayor Mpho Parks Tau and the Johannesburg electricity supplier, City Power regarding arbitrary power cuts in impoverished communities.

I am a disappointed resident of the Johannesburg area. I am writing this letter because I am deeply concerned by the insulting disregard for human dignity that is being effected upon my community.

I live in Freedom Park, it is an informal settlement that is situated in the south of Johannesburg. I was raised in this area long before the building of RDP houses.

It follows that my community has only recently began to enjoy the fruits of 'accessible' running water as well as the provision of electricity.

We are forever experiencing recurrent power cuts and this is appalling. I noted one particular power cut, on the 09th of November 2011, which prevailed for over 11 hours and was never preceded or followed by an explanation.

Might I add, there was also no running water for most of those hours as well.

Firstly, I am aware of the power conservation plans that the City of Johannesburg was said to be in the process of implementing during the 'reign' of Amos Masondo as Executive Mayor.

These measures, as provided in the official City of Johannesburg website, were said to be aimed at relieving residents of load-shedding.

I must warn you that at first glance they appeared as promises that were only just made yesterday and they bear no indication of when they were actually made.

Secondly, I am aware that the then MEC for local government in Gauteng, Qedani Mahlangu, had urged City Power to consult with Eskom in order to develop a plan that would ensure the equal distribution of the 10% load-shedding required by the national distributor.

I trust that you are mindful of the adverse effects of power cuts and therefore I assume that you realise the need for residents to be reasonably informed of scheduled power cuts.

On those rare occasions that my colleagues in varsity who live in affluent neighbourhoods experience power cuts, they are always reasonably informed.

A deprivation of essential resources must be effected equally for everyone and not be implemented arbitrarily.

My community has NEVER been warned of impending power cuts. Even during the notorious 'load-shedding' era, we were never told anything.

One minute you're pouring mealie-meal into a pot of boiling water the next moment it's 'lights-out'. This state of affairs still exists for us.

What I am asking from you, Mr Tau, is for you to perhaps apply sufficient pressure on City Power to resolve this issue. Further, that when your office urges the youth to pursue an honest living, bear in mind the structural disadvantages that deprive us of the means to do so.

We too have Matriculants in our area. These esteemed learners are also demotivated by such a state of affairs. We experience power cuts so often, and sometimes they occur on more than one occasion per week in consecutive weeks and it makes it hard for one to remain motivated or even hopeful.

It is better for one to not have electricity at all and thus be accustomed to that situation and be able to plan accordingly than to live under the illusion of having electricity and constantly be deprived.

This is a nuisance and it is childish. We cannot continue to be the only ones who are disadvantaged when we see Naturena, Devland and Eldorado Park(our immediate surrounding areas) forever glowing.

We could even start drawing inferences, rightfully so, that this is being done to us simply because we are more impoverished than the residents of our surrounding areas and thus we are deemed to be illiterate and ignorant. This is disgruntling.

Even last year we were suffering a disadvantage from these spontaneous power cuts even during exam periods. Those of us who are in varsity are constantly in fear of our academic performance being affected because we cannot even plan our study timetables around a power cut schedule that does not exist.

City Power, next time you decide to turn the switch in these areas that are populated by the illiterate and impoverished, remember that some of us are truly trying to overcome our misfortune and we would even appreciate an A5 flier cut in half informing us of when the 'lights out' period will commence and for how long it will persist.

We are being Repressed!