Residents of Hazendal and Bokmakierie are growing increasingly frustrated by ongoing electricity disruptions and sewage overflows — issues they say are being met with short-term fixes rather than sustainable, long-term solutions.
While acknowledging the challenges posed by rampant cable theft and vandalism, community members argue that the City of Cape Town’s response has been more reactive than preventative.
Despite repeated promises to upgrade the area’s aging infrastructure, many residents say visible progress on the ground remains minimal.
Mounting frustrations have led to several protests and pickets, as residents seek to draw attention to the dire conditions.
“Babies whose bottles couldn’t be made, children going hungry, and many without a warm meal. It’s cold right now. We’re in darkness and struggling to keep warm,” one resident lamented.
“Almost every day calls are logged for power outages and sewage issues.”
Another community member highlighted years of delayed service delivery and said residents have exercised patience — to no avail.
“For months, the Hazendal community has been struggling with cable theft, poor workmanship, and outdated infrastructure, which leads to frequent power cuts. There’s been no real progress, and our calls for help are being blatantly ignored.”
“There’s slow, filtered feedback from leaders and no clear action plan. On top of being left in the dark for days at a time, we’re forced to endure the stench of overflowing sewage and blocked drains. Now that winter is here, we must also contend with flooding. This is a health risk, especially for the needy and the sick.”
Some parts of Hazendal appear to be more severely affected than others, with Bokmakierie residents, in particular, experiencing frequent outages.
“We in the Hazendal section have had cable theft problems, but Bokmakierie has it worse. They have power outages practically every second day, and some households are without electricity for up to 48 hours,” another resident explained.
“They also live in filthy conditions because of ongoing sewage overflows. The dumping is bad too, and the City doesn’t provide enough bins for backyard dwellers.”
In response to the community’s concerns, the City of Cape Town confirmed that a recent outage in Hazendal was due to vandalism but said power had since been restored.
“As part of our long-term efforts to reduce vandalism-related outages and faults, the City is currently rolling out an overhead-to-underground electricity infrastructure project in the area,” the City said in a statement.
“This will improve the reliability and resilience of the electricity supply.”
Meanwhile, ward councillor Rashid Adams acknowledged the severity of the problem, describing the outages as “a nightmare” for residents.
“This has been an ongoing issue, not just a few days. Much of it is linked to cable theft and vandalism, but we’ve also experienced faults at substations that caused phase imbalances, leaving some properties without any power,” Adams explained.
He said the City is currently implementing major infrastructure upgrades to address both immediate concerns and to prevent future disruptions.
“All overhead cables are being replaced with underground ones to deter theft. In addition, the City is switching to a new wiring product that holds no resale value, making it less attractive to thieves.”
He added that two substations currently serve the Hazendal area, both of which are undergoing upgrades.
“A brand-new substation is being built at the corner of Bothwell and Oasis roads. Properties in that vicinity will be linked to it. Meanwhile, households connected to the Downing Street substation will remain on that line, but its capacity is being expanded to support more homes.”
According to Adams, construction officially began on 1 July 2025. The project will be rolled out in two phases, each expected to take approximately two months. Full completion — including the new substation and underground cable installations — is anticipated by the end of October 2025.
VOC News
Photo: Supplied
