DA calls on municipal leadership as Sabie endures prolonged power interruptions
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Thaba Chweu has urged Executive Mayor Friddah Nkadimeng to take immediate steps after residents and businesses in Sabie experienced prolonged and repeated electricity outages. In a press statement dated 4 September 2026, the party said the outages over the preceding two weeks were caused by cable theft, infrastructure vandalism, negligence and delays in transformer repairs.
"Residents of this town have been subjected to constant power outages due to cable theft, infrastructure vandalism, negligence and transformer repair delays."
The DA said it had engaged municipal officials extensively but that little had changed, leaving households without power for extended periods and causing damage to electrical appliances. The party warned of a growing financial burden on families forced to replace costly equipment, and flagged impacts on local businesses that depend on reliable electricity.
- Primary causes cited: cable theft, vandalism and delayed transformer repairs.
- Consequences reported: appliance damage, interrupted business operations and safety concerns for residents.
- DA proposal: review infrastructure, prioritise repairs and consider outsourcing maintenance with incentives.
Sabie is a town whose economy relies in part on tourism and small enterprise. Unreliable power supply affects guest houses, restaurants and retailers, increasing operating costs and reducing the town's appeal to visitors. The DA’s statement also tied the electricity problems to municipal capacity, describing the municipality's approach as "lethargic" and saying this amounted to what it called "a clear indication of the municipality’s incompetence."
Local residents have reported appliances becoming unusable after unstable supply; the DA highlighted safety as a concern. The party said it was prepared to take control of the municipality to implement what it described as effective measures, including:
| Measure proposed | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Infrastructure review | Identify weak points and prioritise repairs |
| Outsourced repairs and maintenance | Speed up response times and introduce expertise |
| Incentive-based contracts | Encourage performance and accountability |
Municipal officials were not quoted in the DA release. The party said it had repeatedly engaged the municipality but claimed that little substantive progress had been made. The DA urged residents to "take note of the municipality’s shortcomings" ahead of future decisions about local governance.
For Sabie residents, the immediate questions are practical: how quickly transformers can be repaired or replaced, how the municipality will secure cabling and substations from theft and vandalism, and what short-term support might be available to households and small businesses that have suffered appliance damage or lost income.
As discussions continue between political parties and municipal administrators, local consumers are likely to watch for:
- clear schedules for repair work and area-by-area outages;
- measures to protect critical infrastructure from theft and vandalism;
- assistance or guidance on claiming for damaged appliances, and options to reduce the immediate financial impact.
Reliable power is a basic requirement for daily life and for the local economy. With Sabie already balancing tourism and small-business activity, continued interruptions threaten livelihoods and could erode confidence in municipal service delivery unless visible, timely action is taken.
