The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mangaung says it is deeply concerned about Centlec’s ability to effectively address the ongoing electricity crisis affecting residents across the metro.
This follows an urgent meeting held between the DA, Centlec’s acting CEO, and heads of department to discuss recurring power outages, infrastructure failures, and prolonged electricity interruptions experienced in several areas this year. In some cases, residents have reportedly been left without electricity for more than three days.
Speaking to Bloemfontein Courant, DA ward councillor Selmé Pretorius said the party left the meeting unconvinced that the utility has a proper strategy or long-term plan to address the worsening situation. “Most of the time, people experience power outages due to cable theft and severe weather conditions, but there was no clear plan provided or a timeline as to what Centlec is going to do to address these challenges. We left the meeting not feeling confident at all.”
She explained while cable theft and vandalism remain serious challenges, residents are increasingly frustrated by the frequency of outages and the lack of visible solutions from the utility. Residents are often left without communication or certainty about when electricity will be restored.
Pretorius further said although there are skilled and committed employees within Centlec, internal operational challenges appear to be affecting the utility’s ability to respond effectively to ongoing problems. “I do believe there are very capable people at Centlec who are trying their level best, but I think within their system and operations, they are struggling.”
The DA also raised concerns that Centlec continues to rely heavily on cable theft and severe weather conditions as explanations for the outages without implementing stronger preventative strategies. Pretorius said the party suggested the utility strengthen partnerships with neighbourhood associations and community policing forums to combat infrastructure vandalism and theft better.
She warned the situation may deteriorate further during winter, when electricity demand is expected to increase significantly due to colder weather conditions.
Centlec was contacted for comment regarding the concerns raised during the meeting, but no response had been received at the time of publication.
