Ekurhuleni Utilities MMC Jean Sthato says the metro has deployed trucks to address illegal dumping across the municipality, an intervention described as part of efforts to improve service delivery and restore cleanliness in affected areas.
But in the Vusimuzi area of Thembisa, residents living directly under power lines say they have gone nearly three decades without electricity.
Live visuals from the area showed streets strewn with waste, as reporters walked through the community to document the conditions firsthand.
Two residents, Fistos Mutabena from the Vusimuzi informal settlement and a man identified as Marumo, described their situation.
One resident said he had lived in the area for approximately 28 years without electricity. Another explained he arrived at the age of 23 and is now turning 47. “No electricity. Everything,” he said. A third resident added, “We have been here for a long, long, long time.”
The area lies directly beneath a power line, and reporters noted the irony that on one side of a nearby road, electricity is shared with residents in a newer area, while those on the other side have no power at all.
Sewage issues were also highlighted alongside the electricity crisis.
The MMC did not address the electricity concerns in the broadcast segment. Sthato’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment on the residents’ claims.