I FIRST experienced the numerous power cuts, which seem to take place for a number of reasons, mostly for maintenance work, when I moved down from Johannesburg to East London.

Now it has probably become a way of life for residents in Johannesburg too. Much of local governments’ service deliveries have reached the end of their shelf lives .

But it was only after load shedding was introduced that I decided to add some coverage to my short term insurance for the day an unexpected power surge blows up our computer, TV or whatever appliance.

Unfortunately Chester Gxwali and his neighbours, who live in Mdantsane’s Unit15 area, do not have such coverage.

On May 28 Buffalo City Municipality outsourced some electrical maintenance and repair work in Unit 15 to TS Electrical, a local company. According to Gxwali the two TS Electrical employees – he knows them only as Luvo and George – were busy working on the installation when a power surge occurred. This caused many of the electrical appliances belonging to Gxwali and his neighbours to blow up.

Gxwali said the damaged appliances included microwaves, video recorders, computers, fridges, stoves and TVs.

Gxwali said he contacted their local councillor, who referred them to the municipality’s corporate services.

To prove their claim for damages the residents in that street listed their losses in an affidavit, which they signed at the police station. The list was then handed over to the municipality where, they were told, it would be given to Glenrand MIB, the municipality’s insurers. But that was more than five months ago, and still no word.

When I called the relevant department I was told that Terror Nkila, the employee who was dealing with it, was serving his notice month. Is he joining Terror Lekota’s party, I wanted to know. No, I was told, he was moving up the ladder to the provincial government’s Local Government Department. Where I’m sure he won’t deal with insurance claims.

So I spoke to Linda Emmett of Glenrand MIB, who is a facilitator between the insurance company and the municipality. Emmett told me that Glenrand MIB had ruled that this was a claim that TS Electrical should deal with and referred it to BCM’s Chris Gower. “We have closed our file,” said Emmett.

I decided to approach TS Electrical directly and spoke to its owner, Anelda de Kock. Not very helpful, she was, I must add. “I’m not sure what the outcome is, we are busy negotiating,” she said. Are you talking to your insurers? “I’m sorry, but I cannot give you any comment.”

Gower was more helpful. From the municipality’s side it was established that TS Electrical had been negligent, he told me.

In terms of its contract with TS Electrical the municipality was indemnified from any damage claims and BCM recommended that TS Electrical’s insurers deal with the claims. “If the customers (Gxwali et al) have no joy, we will force TS Electrical to deal with it. They have been negligent and should settle the claim.”

And, said Gower, if nothing happens I should come back to him.

I cannot believe that it takes more than five months to deal with such a claim. Gxwali says no assessor of any insurance company has been to see them.

De Kock said TS Electrical was still negotiating. Negotiating for what? If, as Gower said, TS Electrical was negligent when its employees worked on the electrical installations and caused the power surge, and that BCM was indemnified from being responsible for losses, De Kock’s insurers should deal with it.

It should have been done a long time ago. We are talking about people who are innocent victims of negligence. People who in all likelihood are not wealthy and cannot merely walk into Rama or Game to replace the obsolete appliances.

I bet you if any of the appliances in the more affluent households of Buffalo City had been damaged, there would have been no negotiations.

Eddie Botha is Daily Dispatch Investigations Editor