Nearly two months after Ga-RankuwaTimes first reported the issue, and more than 14 months since the initial requests, the Faith and Hope Foundation in Ga-Rankuwa Unit 23 remains without a functioning electricity transformer from Eskom. The prolonged failure to act has left the community-based non-profit’s education, outreach and matric learner support programmes severely constrained, while vulnerable residents who depend on these services continue to bear the cost.
The foundation has repeatedly logged formal requests with Eskom for the installation of a transformer. At one stage the organization was told to “buy their own.” Documentation of these calls was provided to Eskom spokesperson Amanda Qithi in early June 2026. At the time of the original report she undertook to investigate. As of early August 2026, no substantive response, site visit, or installation timeline has been communicated to the foundation or this publication.
Ga-Rankuwa has long endured transformer failures, vandalism and slow restoration. Residents in several units have previously protested extended outages. While Eskom routinely attributes delays to supply-chain pressures and high demand, new transformers have been installed in some nearby areas following community pressure and municipal intervention. Unit 23, including the Faith and Hope Foundation, has been left behind.
This is not an isolated technical delay. It is a failure of accountability. A non-profit dedicated to community upliftment has been forced to operate under makeshift conditions for well over a year because the national electricity utility has not fulfilled a basic infrastructure obligation. The absence of a clear timeline, the lack of feedback after documented engagements, and the suggestion that a community organization should procure its own transformer raise serious questions about prioritisation and responsiveness in township areas.
The foundation continues its work through volunteer dedication and limited alternative measures. However, without a permanent and reliable electricity supply, its ability to expand programmes and deliver consistent support to matric learners and other beneficiaries remains compromised. Winter energy demand has only heightened the urgency.
Eskom is the country’s primary electricity provider. Its mandate includes serving all communities, not only those with greater political or economic leverage. The residents of Unit 23 and the organization’s working to uplift them deserve more than silence and indefinite postponement. A public commitment to a firm installation date, transparent communication of any remaining obstacles, and prioritisation of this long-outstanding request are the minimum standards of accountability now required.
Until Eskom installs the transformer and restores reliable power, the cost of inaction will continue to be paid by the very community the utility is meant to serve.
