Heideveld woman left without electricity

A Heideveld woman who has been without electricity for more than a week says she has had to throw hundreds-of-rand worth of food away.

Hajira Lalla, from Hester Court, in Heideveld Road, has been without electricity since Saturday August 13 and says she had to throw out the food after it spoiled in her fridge and freezer.

According to Ms Lalla, council workers who came out on the same day to investigate told her there was a fault on her distribution board. They said they would return the following day but didn’t do so. When she phoned the municipality on Monday August 15, they told her the fault lay with Eskom and not the City. On Tuesday August 15, a council worker who came out told her the fault was with an electricity pole and the meter box in her home.

Ms Lalla said she was feeling very frustrated.

“I have to warm water on the gas stove, also cook on the gas. I have to put my meat and chicken in the freezer at the next door neighbour,” she said

Her daughter, Mariam, said: “My mom is so tired of this. She used her last money to buy food and she had to throw it away. They came out and another team came out, but still the issue isn’t sorted out.”

Heideveld ward councillor Anthony Moses, said that when City staff went out to inspect the issue on Thursday August 18, the room in which the electricity board was located was locked as the woman was not home.

“I tried to call the lady to follow up but the number shut down,” he said.