Promosa Electricity Woes Spark Rising Tensions in Local Communities

Potch Gazette | Potchefstroom

Promosa Disruptions

Communities in and around Promosa are raising the alarm as ongoing electricity disruptions and illegal power connections continue to strain infrastructure, spark tension among residents, and expose deeper service delivery challenges.

In recent weeks, residents have taken to social media and local forums to express concern over the growing number of illegal connections in informal areas surrounding established neighbourhoods, this especially in the houses close or in to Ext 5, Rockville, Marikana, Baipei, Hillside, well into Promosa central.

The connections, often made without proper safety measures, are overloading transformers and causing frequent power surges, damaging household appliances and leaving entire blocks without reliable electricity.

Image: Illustrative

Flashpoint for Community Unrest

What began as a coping mechanism for those without formal access to electricity has now become a flashpoint for community unrest. Those affected by the outages are growing frustrated, not only at the power instability, but also at what they perceive as silence or inaction from municipal leadership, law enforcement, and service providers.

Many residents say they feel caught in the middle — wanting to show compassion to those in informal settlements but increasingly concerned about the risks of fire, property damage, and even physical confrontation. Several community members have voiced fears that the situation, if left unresolved, could lead to further social division or even violence.

Comments on Social Media

A snapshot of comments and posts from residents of Promosa clearly shows how desperate the situation is, below extracted from frustrated residents voicing their concern:

“Disaster is looming around the corner, This electricity theft is getting out of hand and soon a 'clashes' will erupt. Tensions are running high between those who illegally connect and those who are negatively affected by these illegal connections.”

Frustration was further amplified by a claim that former JB Marks Mayor Gaba had “given permission” for illegal connections during a visit “a year or two ago” but has since disappeared from the issue.

“The community is crying out and nobody in charge is saying anything or doing anything,”

Municipal Meetings

Behind the scenes, efforts have reportedly been underway to address the situation. Municipal officials have attended community meetings in recent months and outlined plans to formally electrify informal areas through proper processes. However, delays in implementation and growing impatience have only deepened the divide between those waiting for official connections and those already impacted by the consequences of illegal ones.

Tensions Rising

Tensions have already surfaced in several neighbourhoods, with reports of arguments and isolated incidents involving property damage. Community leaders and residents alike are calling for urgent, coordinated action from authorities to address both the infrastructure issues and the social fallout they are causing.

Call for Help

Above all, the message from the ground is clear: communities need help. Help in the form of communication, planning, enforcement, and most importantly — solutions. Without this, the current instability risks escalating beyond technical repair into something far more difficult to fix: broken trust among neighbours.

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