City Power has responded to the Davidsonville protest about faulty meters which started on Tuesday, 21 May, saying it is aware of the protest which is about a number of issues within the community and not only matters related to City Power.
The protest resulted in all roads into and out of the area being blockaded with burning tyres and rocks, preventing access to Davidsonville; however, all roads have since been opened to traffic. The protest has been placed on hold as residents await Premier David Makhura’s visit to the area.
Read more:
https://roodepoortrecord.co.za/2019/05/28/police-fire-rubber-bullets-in-davidsonville/
The power utility’s spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, said, “City Power has embarked on a city-wide programme to normalise the electricity network and install new smart meters.The programme has already been rolled out in most areas across the city as the city embarks on a process to move to a smart grid.”
“The community complained that most of them were not informed. Others, especially those who had bridged the electricity supply, refused City Power access because they believed this meant they would have to start paying for electricity. Our cut-off team moved in to disconnect those who refused City Power access and that also contributed to the displeasure,” Mangena added.
According to Mangena, a meeting was held with the community on Monday, 27 May, where the processes and what City Power wants to do in the area were explained to the residents. It is understood that the community requested to hold a meeting with them alone, to decide on when the power utility can move in to continue with normalisation and installation of smart meters.
“Other issues facing the area are about service delivery, housing, and water, which can be addressed by inter-departmental engagement,” he concluded.
