Residents of Ward 38 in Dube, Soweto, have been without electricity for more than a week after several power poles were brought down during severe weather.
The poles collapsed during strong winds over the weekend, leaving parts of the community without power.
Residents say the prolonged outage is also raising safety concerns, with criminals allegedly taking advantage of exposed power lines and damaged infrastructure.
Community members say fallen poles remain on the streets, posing a particular risk to children and other residents.
“The main concern is the safety of the residents of Ward 38 in particular. The children, because the poles remain fallen on the streets and then most of the people are exposed to danger,” a resident said.
The resident says three suspects have already been arrested for allegedly stealing copper from the damaged infrastructure.
“A lot of things had happened. It’s unfortunate that no one is attending to this matter, despite it being reported,” the resident said.
Residents are calling for urgent intervention to restore electricity and secure the damaged infrastructure before the situation worsens.