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1 month ago
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- MPLs and MPs serving in Parliament and in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature are holding public hearings in the Pietermaritzburg town hall.
- The aim of the public hearings is to canvass issues affecting the different municipalities in KZN.
- During a session that focused on the Mpofana Local Municipality, MPs heard that the majority of households in the town don’t have electricity.
At 58%, most of the households in the ANC-led Mpofana Local Municipality don’t have access to electricity, and the town is at risk of a “possible grid collapse”.
This revelation was made by Mpofana Mayor Maureen Magubane during an appearance before the joint committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Standing Committee on Public Accounts, and the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General in oversight hearings held in Pietermaritzburg.
MPs and MPLs, as well as the Auditor-General’s office, are canvassing issues with local municipalities, metros and district municipalities.
According to Magubane, the area, situated near Pietermaritzburg, has a population of about 800 000 residents.
Put into perspective, more than half of the households have no access to electricity.
The revelation on material electricity losses prompted one MP to remark: “58% in material electricity losses... that is big if we have people who don’t see light.”
Municipalities’ material electricity losses result from a range of factors, including ageing infrastructure, financial mismanagement, electricity theft, vandalism, and political instability.
READ: POWER CONNECTIONS | Inside City Power’s R18bn five-year electricity losses
Addressing the town hall, Magubane said: “In terms of the engineer’s report, dilapidated electricity infrastructure is the main cause of electricity losses.”
The municipality has lodged an application with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy for assistance with the rehabilitation of its infrastructure.
At some point, the losses were reduced from 64% in June 2024 to 48% in December 2025 – but now they stand at 58%.
Magubane also cited financial constraints that continue to affect how the municipality manages key programmes, including the indigent register and infrastructure maintenance, especially in electricity, where dilapidated infrastructure contributes to material losses.
“The main challenge, which is indeed the biggest risk for Mpofana Local Municipality, is the possible electricity grid collapse. This could lead to the municipality being without electricity/power for the longest time,” Magubane said.
“This could be a huge risk as the people of Mpofana Municipality are quick to resort to blocking the national route – N3 corridor.
“We urge all forms of intervention to try to prevent this occurrence.”
