Pretoria - Residents in Mamelodi East Extension 18 have another load shedding schedule to worry about - this time it is from nearby squatters.
The source of the problem is the informal settlement near their RDP houses. As a result, watching television, charging a cellphone or drinking a cold beverage has become a luxury for the RDP residents.
The informal settlement, located near a railway line, started last year with just a few shacks, but has since grown. And its occupants have illegally connected electricity from the area.
Home owner Elias Moshidi said the illegal connections were causing numerous blackouts. But he had to pay a heavy price when he tried to address the matter with the squatters; he was heavily beaten up and spent three days in hospital.
“They told me to say out of the izinyoka business or else I’ll die,” he said. Another resident said the situation was so bad that the last time they had uninterrupted electricity was in June last year.
The informal settlement residents had become so nonchalant that they even connect illegally during the day in full view of people, the complainants said.
The residents said the informal settlement should be dismantled, adding that it was devaluing their properties.
However, the informal settlement occupants said they would not leave the area.
Trader Sihle Majaja said her cold drink business suffered badly when the electricity went off.
Majaja added that she believed it was only a matter of time before the new transformers that were installed in the area blew up again.
But the squatters were also paying the price, Nokuthula Sibanda said. Her shack burnt down because of illegal connections.
The City has yet to comment.