Threatened and intimidated, Nelson Mandela Bay’s electricity boss Luvuyo Magalela was forced to flee the city this week as some workers downed tools over the suspension of seven officials.
“I will not be intimidated. ”So says Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Retief Odendaal, responding to alleged threats to hold him hostage at the City Hall in Gqeberha.
Municipal call centres for electricity-related complaints received nearly 10,000 calls in just three months from Nelson Mandela Bay residents about broken street lights, faulty cables, overhead power lines and damaged prepaid meters.
It is encouraging that the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality is setting plans in motion to help keep the lights on in the face of SA’s load-shedding crisis and its devastating impact on the economy.
To reduce the devastating effect of power outages, the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber has rallied manufacturers in the city to take part in a 24-hour voluntary load-shedding pilot project which allows companies to operate with fewer disruptions caused by daily outages.