VILLAGERS of Myakayaka outside Tzaneen, Limpopo are frustrated.
They are struggling due to a power outage.
This happened after an electricity pole carrying a transformer fell on Sunday, 1 December, leaving the entire village without power.
The outage has caused villagers' food to spoil as fridges aren't working, and the fallen pole poses a potential hazard, especially to kids.
Now, after four days without electricity, the villagers feel ignored by authorities.
Despite efforts to get help from Eskom, no action has been taken.
Villager Gladys Maluleke (43) expressed her dissatisfaction.
"All the bulk groceries we bought on Black Friday for the festive season have gone to waste because we spent days without electricity.
"We don't have any money to buy more food. This is painful. It means we're going to have a bleak festive season, and we blame Eskom for dragging its feet," she said.
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Though Eskom officials visited the site on Tuesday, 3 December, the villagers' initial happiness faded when they claimed the officials explained that the repairs were not their responsibility.
"We don't know what to believe because the Greater Tzaneen Municipality is also doing nothing about our situation. It seems we are going to have a dark festive season," said another villager, George Maswanganyi (29).
In response, the villagers decided to take matters into their own hands. They started digging a hole to stabilise the transformer on Wednesday, 4 December, while awaiting Eskom's intervention.
Despite the risks, they felt compelled to act immediately to prevent a potentially dangerous situation from worsening.
"We can't sit by and wait for officials indefinitely. We're putting our lives on the line to get electricity because our leaders are failing us," said another villager.
Eskom spokeswoman Matshidiso Phaladi acknowledged awareness of the fault and confirmed that the power utility is attending to it.
"However, we can't confirm the restoration time," she said.
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