Residents in Coligny, North West, have had to endure freezing weather without any electricity since Monday, when a truck crashed into a power sub-station in the area, the Beeld reported on Friday.
The sub-station caught fire and burnt out, leaving many local businesses without the capacity to operate effectively.
“Banks and many other enterprises had to close their doors, and we've been forced to travel to Lichtenburg to draw money,” Denise Pretorius, an employee of Prektor insurance brokers in Coligny, told Beeld.
“The majority of people in the town can't afford to buy generators. So we've been sitting in the dark at night.”
Justin Bhine, acting municipal manager of the Ditsobotla municipality, which services Coligny, said the local council had ordered a new sub-station immediately after Monday's accident, but the new one had proved to be unsuitable for the town.
“A company in Johannesburg is sending us the right one, and it should be installed on Friday,” Bhine said. – Sapa