LEBOENG
It seems not all residents are pleased with the electrification project at Leboeng Village and its surrounding sections.
On June 23, Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality officially held a ‘’switch-on” ceremony at the village.
Less than a week after FTLM’s mayor Cllr Eddie Maila announced that the municipality has electrified 1500 households in Leboeng.
The villagers have refuted and criticized the ‘1500 electrification report’, saying: “It’s a scam. We are still living in the dark, reports that 1500 homes are electrified is untrue.”
Sekhukhune Times reporters visited Leboeng on June 30, to confirm the allegations made by the residents.
Armed with a pen and paper, this publication’s investigations uncovered that some homes at Ga- Moraba, Machogweng, Ga Nkoana and New Stands (Villages surrounding Leboeng) are not yet electrified, confirming the community’s concerns.
At Machogweng, only three households are electrified, this has divided the communities as some feel left out.
“I am a resident of Machogweng and had been staying in this village since 2004, it breaks my heart that the government is taking us for granted. Our homes are still without power and yet the mayor is reporting all over the media that our homes are energized.”
The community members in Leboeng said the electricity project delayed as it was earmarked to be completed in April 2026.
Residents played voice clips in which the mayor, is heard on record promising residents that their homes will be electrified before end April. The paper is in possession of the clip.
“Maila and Eskom visited our village sometime in March 2026. They confirmed all our homes will be electrified by Apri 2026, when their promise was not fulfilled, as community, we wrote a letter on June 1, doing follow ups about the project.”
“We expected a full-fledged, 100% completed project, in which every home is electrified, not the half-done project which was handed to the community,” said resident Emma Makhubedu.
They demanded that the FTLM, comes back to electrify the remaining homes in the Leboeng area.
Speaking during the switch-on, Maila said the energisation of the village was not just about electricity, but about restoring dignity and improving the daily lives of residents.
“Today is a proud moment for Leboeng Village. We know that this community has waited patiently since this project started and tonight that patience has finally brought light into 1 500 households. I want to sincerely thank the people of Leboeng for protecting this infrastructure and not vandalising it while waiting for energisation. That level of ownership shows that development works best when government and communities move together. I also extend my appreciation to Eskom for working with us to make this day possible,” said Maila.
Sekhukhune Times forwarded queries to the FTLM’s communications team, inquiring about the incomplete electricity project allegedly handed to the communities. The municipality was yet to respond to the questions at the time of going to print.