Kokosi Extension 3 residents slam Merafong Municipality over lights, electricity, and sewerage neglect
According to long-time resident Elliot Leeuw, the municipality has failed to repair high mast street lights in the area, leaving the neighbourhood in complete darkness at night — a situation residents say directly fuels crime.
'It's so dark here that criminals are free to move around, stealing cables and vandalising infrastructure without being seen,' Leeuw told the Herald.
The problem is worsened by the nearby Popo Molefe Stadium, which residents say became a hotspot for criminal activity after it was neglected and vandalised during the Covid-19 pandemic. Leeuw explained that many of the area's 'nyaope boys' now hide inside the stadium before targeting surrounding homes and infrastructure.
Most recently, criminals pulled down a municipal electricity cable between houses 2042 and 2071 in Madzunya Street, when the power went off in the area about three weeks ago. The cable now hangs dangerously low — posing both a theft risk and a safety hazard to passing trucks and high vehicles.
'I've reported this cable issue to the municipality multiple times,' Leeuw said, producing a reference number issued to him after lodging the complaint. 'But no one comes. They will wait until it gets stolen — and then we'll be without electricity for weeks.'
Residents' worries don't stop there. Three major sewerage leaks have also been reported in the same area — including one right next to a local food-selling business, raising health and hygiene concerns.
Despite repeated attempts by the Herald to get comment from the municipality's marketing and communications manager Temba Fezani, there was no response by the time of publishing.
Residents say the growing neglect points to a collapse in basic service delivery in Kokosi Extension 3 — and they are demanding that urgent action be taken before the situation deteriorates further.
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