Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Carina Serfontein and Sesotho soundbite by David Masoeu MPL.
Over the past weekend, residents across Ngwathe Local Municipality experienced major challenges purchasing prepaid electricity online and through their usual vending platforms.
Residents were subsequently advised by the municipality to visit their local municipal offices to purchase electricity while the technical problems were being addressed. Extended operating hours were introduced to accommodate affected residents.
However, it has become clear that the problem extends far beyond a temporary online vending failure.
The DA has received numerous complaints from residents whose existing meter boxes are not being recognised by the system or whose meter cards can no longer be read. Some of these meters now have to be replaced, leaving affected households unable to purchase electricity and, in some cases, completely without power while waiting for technical assistance.
This is a human-created crisis that could and should have been prevented through proper planning.
The situation is made even more serious by the current extremely cold weather conditions. Residents who have run out of electricity are being left with little choice but to travel to municipal offices to seek assistance, despite the cold. This is particularly difficult for elderly residents, vulnerable households and people without easy access to transport.
Furthermore, not all service providers and vending platforms are currently able to sell electricity tokens, meaning residents who previously purchased electricity through their normal channels may suddenly find that those options are no longer available.
There appears to have been no adequate arrangement made beforehand to accommodate residents whose meters would not be compatible with the system, nor sufficient contingency measures for households unable to purchase electricity during the transition.
A change or upgrade to an electricity vending system should have been supported by a comprehensive implementation and contingency plan. Potentially incompatible meters should have been identified beforehand, sufficient smart meter boxes should have been procured, alternative vending arrangements should have been communicated, and technical teams should have been ready for deployment across all Ngwathe towns.
Residents should not discover that their meter needs to be replaced only once they have run out of electricity and are unable to purchase additional units.
The DA will formally request the Administrator and Municipal Manager to provide:
- A full assessment of the vending system failure and the number of affected meters in each Ngwathe town;
- An urgent replacement programme with clear timelines for meters that can no longer be read or recognised;
- Confirmation that sufficient smart meter boxes are available, as well as details of additional stock being procured;
- A deployment plan for technical teams, prioritising households already without electricity;
- Immediate alternative arrangements for residents who cannot purchase electricity through their normal service providers or vending platforms;
- A clear contingency plan for residents unable to purchase electricity while awaiting meter replacement; and
- Regular public progress updates until the vending system and all affected meters are fully operational.
We acknowledge the officials and technical teams who have been working throughout Ngwathe to assist residents under extremely difficult circumstances. The failure lies in the lack of adequate planning and preparation — emergency intervention by officials cannot replace proper planning.
Residents who are willing to pay for electricity should never be left without power because municipal systems cannot recognise their meters or because adequate arrangements were not made before changes to the vending system were implemented.
In the middle of extremely cold weather, this failure has very real consequences for families across Ngwathe.
The DA will continue demanding a coordinated solution, urgent assistance, clear timelines and accountability until every affected resident across Ngwathe has been assisted.
Ngwathe can work – but it requires planning, accountability and reliable service delivery.