Richie's Motor Spares, a well-known company in Roodepoort, has had no electricity for over three years due to a stolen cable which were reported repeatedly.
Horak says a cable was stolen from the substation that supplies the surrounding businesses, including his, in the area in 2021. “After the cable was stolen, we struggled for a year before CP replaced the cable. Their excuse was that there was no cables in stock. We logged complaints to CP, and contractors would visit the site and assure me it will be fixed. Since then , we are still waiting.
The business bought a generator and installed solar panels, which are charged daily to keep the business running. “Covid-19 had a lot of setbacks for many businesses, two of them next to us closed down. With no electricity they were not able to get back on their feet to reopen. We are currently the only business running on our own electricity,” Horak adds.