PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Residents of The Crags continue to endure prolonged power outages after severe weather conditions battered the region last week, leaving a trail of destruction that included uprooted trees, damaged electrical infrastructure and widespread flooding of homes.
The adverse weather, which struck on Wednesday 6 May, severely impacted the Kurland community and surrounding areas, where electricity restoration efforts have remained unsuccessful for nearly a week.
Meanwhile, the residents of Skool Street in New Horizons were stranded without electricity for more than five days. However, the electricity was restored on Monday 11 May.
The heavy storms caused extensive damage to power lines and supporting infrastructure as strong winds toppled trees onto electrical cables, disrupting supply to hundreds of households. In addition to the power failures, several families experienced flooding in their homes as relentless rain overwhelmed drainage systems and low-lying areas.
Community members have expressed their growing frustration over the prolonged outages, saying the lack of electricity has affected daily life, communication, food storage and safety. They also raised their concerns about vulnerable individuals, including the elderly and young children, who continue to face harsh conditions without reliable power.
The Eskom technicians' efforts to restore electricity have been significantly hampered by ongoing incidents of cable theft and vandalism in affected areas. On Monday, Mayor Jessica Kamkam issued a statement confirming that criminal activity has further delayed repairs in The Crags. According to her, criminals are exploiting the outages by targeting exposed electrical infrastructure, making restoration work increasingly difficult and dangerous for technicians on site. "Please note that Eskom is currently experiencing cable theft in The Crags area, which is unfortunately affecting restoration efforts. Criminals are taking advantage of the power outages, making infrastructure more vulnerable to theft and vandalism," she said.
She warned that the theft and destruction of infrastructure are expected to significantly increase repair times and prolong the suffering of affected communities.
Kamkam appealed to residents, neighbourhood watches, private security structures and law enforcement agencies to intensify patrols and strengthen stop-and-search operations in vulnerable areas. She further urged community members to report any suspicious activity to the police or relevant authorities immediately.
The authorities continue to monitor the situation as repair teams work to restore power to affected communities amid challenging weather conditions and ongoing criminal interference.
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