No electricity for ten years: Residents take to the streets in a rural area in South Africa

Residents of an informal settlement in Letlhabile have been waiting for a decade for electricity from the Madibeng Local Municipality.

This was revealed by a statement from Barnard Manne, a DA Councillor at the Madibeng Local Municipality.

Manne slated the municipality’s continued failure to provide electricity to residents of Block H Phase 3 informal settlement in Letlhabile.

The community had to endure years of delays and unfulfilled commitments from municipal officials about electricity services.

“Block H Phase 3 has existed since 2016, yet households remain without legal electricity despite repeated engagements with Madibeng Local Municipality,” he said.

“The municipality’s failure to deliver basic services has forced many residents to rely on illegal electricity connections, exposing families to serious safety risks.”

Manne said this is not a sustainable solution and reflects years of poor planning and the municipality’s lack of urgency.

Frustration over these failures led residents to protest on 29 June 2026. The protest was monitored by Public Order Police, who dispersed crowds after tensions escalated.

“Several rubber bullets were fired, leaving more than five residents treated for injuries at Letlhabile Clinic,” Manne said.

“This incident is another indication of growing frustration among residents over the ANC-led municipality’s failure to respond to legitimate community concerns.”

Following the protest, the municipality announced that R29.7 million had been allocated to provide electricity to 1,320 households in Block H Phase 3.

The municipality further indicated that it would advertise the position of Community Liaison Officer, after which the process to appoint a contractor would commence.