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Residents and businesses in Molteno in the Eastern Cape are being hit hard by electricity problems after one of two transformers serving the town malfunctioned several days ago.
Now, the Democratic Alliance says it wants a full investigation into the matter and particularly why the Inkwanca Municipality had no back up plan to deal with the problem.
DA PR councillor, Magda Botha, says officials cannot say exactly when the damaged transformer will be repaired or whether a temporary transformer will be secured.
The municipality has instituted a type of load-shedding system, supplying power to businesses in the day and residents at night.
But, Botha says businesses are losing stock while residents are also feeling the pinch.
"We have people running generators at thousands of rands of cost to them. One businessman has even indicated that he might want to move his factory out of the town," she said.
"The residents that's influenced are the poorest communities. They've been explaining to me that they do not have money available to buy paraffin or candles because they are really suffering to put food on the table. So, its influencing everybody from the top down to the bottom."
