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Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane hosted a virtual meeting on Wednesday with committees from the Border-Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB) and the Civic and Ratepayers' Association of Enoch Mgijima (CRAEM), to discuss ongoing power outages in Komani.
The Premier urged the groups to submit action plans to restore the electrical grid, as parts of the town have gone weeks without sustainable power.
The chairpersons of the respective committees, Dr Pieter Prinsloo and Jacques Van Zyl, issued a statement on Thursday stating that the meeting was rather fruitful.
In the meeting, the Premier asked the municipality and the committees to submit detailed short-, medium-, and long-term action plans to the Premier’s delegation, proposing steps for stabilizing the electrical supply and ensuring safety.
The Chamber and the Ratepayers' Associations stressed the urgent need for the appointment of a Consulting Electrical Engineer to prioritise the work needing to be done. Another key outcome of the meeting was the proposal for a Joint Working Committee to coordinate and oversee infrastructure development efforts.
Van Zyl and Prinsloo assured that BKCOB and CRAEM are already processing the appointment of representatives from each organisation to stand on such a committee with the representatives from EMLM.
Premier Mabuyane also endorsed this initiative and requested a consolidated action plan from the three organisations be submitted to his delegation promptly. The Premier however acknowledged current financial constraints in the budget but assured that this plan would be escalated to the National Government to secure essential funding.
In addition, EMLM confirmed that it had formalized a collaborative agreement with Eskom to support the maintenance and upgrading of Komani’s electrical infrastructure.
The Chamber and the Ratepayers’ Association expressed optimism about this partnership, highlighting that Eskom’s involvement would provide critical technical expertise to strengthen the capabilities of the EMLM team.
Both organizations view the Joint Working Committee as a promising platform to expedite development and ensure the resilience of Komani’s electrical infrastructure, ultimately contributing to the growth and stability of the town’s economy and community.
Premier Mabuyane stressed the importance of sustained collaboration between EMLM and the key stakeholders, underlining that addressing the current power crisis was vital for the community’s welfare, local business continuity, and the long-term development of Komani.
