INLSA

IN SHOCK: Nthabiseng Mashilwane, the aunt of Portia Rampuma, stands at the spot where the girl was electrocuted in Klipspruit Extension 2 on Monday. Picture: Itumeleng English

VUYO MKIZE

NINE-year-old Portia Rampuma wanted to surprise her hard-working mother with a loaf of bread – the first she had baked all by herself.

But she never got to see the proud look on her mother’s face when she arrived home, because Portia was electrocuted outside her home in Klipspruit Extension 2 on Monday afternoon.

According to her distraught aunt, Nthabiseng Mashilwane, Portia had been outside and was walking back towards the house on the little path at around 5.45pm.

“That day, it had been raining hard in the afternoon. As she walked back, she must have held onto the steel pole which held up the wire fence around the yard. But there was an uncovered electricity cable hanging around the fence and she fell on her back,” she said.

When neighbours rushed to her assistance, Portia’s mouth was foaming and her right hand still held on to the pole.

The illegally connected electrical cable that led to her death was used by houses near her home.

Since people in the area moved into the RDP houses seven years ago, they have been without an electricity supply. So residents struck a deal with people living at the Nancefield hostels behind their homes to share their electricity, for a minimal fee.

Using the illegal electricity connections they get from the hostel is much cheaper than buying paraffin or candles.

“It is painful for us because we were trying to help ourselves, and this happens… Now we have lost a child who won’t come back,” Mashilwane said.

Portia’s ashen-faced mother Lebohang

, who has two younger daughters, said: “We have new electricity poles that were put up last month, but we were promised electricity years ago. Our councillor told us that roads would be built and electricity would be connected, but to this day we still have none of those.

“Sewerage comes in from the back of our yards, we have no fences, so we have to make our own wire fences, and now my child has died because of this.”

Community leader Sam Taraga added: “We’ve been writing letters to the council about us not having electricity supply. We got a response that we would have supply by April, but it’s all happening so slowly.”

Lebohang was deeply moved by Portia’s bread gesture, saying: “Yesterday (Tuesday) we ate the bread she made. And she did it so well, she didn’t put too much or too little of anything. It was perfect.”