Komani Residents Endure Another Day Without Power as Municipality Promises Fix

Komani, Eastern Cape — Residents of Amberdale, Madeira Park, and Horizon View faced yet another frustrating day without reliable electricity as the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality (EMLM) scrambled to address ongoing cable faults.

Municipal technicians spent the entire day testing the failing line, uncovering “multiple faults” that left large sections of the area without consistent power. Repairs are only scheduled to begin tomorrow — a delay that has sparked growing frustration among residents already accustomed to service interruptions.

In what the municipality is presenting as a “permanent solution,” a new 1.2-kilometer underground cable has been ordered. The line, set to run parallel to the existing cable between the Western and Madeira Park substations, is intended to provide two feeders and stabilize electricity supply.

The cable is expected to arrive Wednesday evening or Thursday, but in the meantime, many residents are left in limbo, relying on generators, gas, or simply enduring outages. The municipality has begun digging trenches to prepare for the installation, though it remains unclear how long the project will take to complete.

This is not the first time Komani residents have been promised lasting fixes to electricity supply problems. Chronic infrastructure failures, poor maintenance, and delays in addressing faults have long plagued the municipality. Many residents have voiced skepticism, questioning whether the new cable will truly solve the systemic issues or simply paper over deeper governance failures.

For now, Komani continues to wait — in the dark — for municipal promises to materialize.