Thirty-one years into democracy, residents of Eswati, a remote rural village in Vryheid, northern KwaZulu-Natal, continue to live without electricity, relying only on sporadic access to water as their sole basic service.
For 58-year-old Ntombi Mtshali, who has spent her entire life in the village, daily survival means scavenging for firewood to cook meals for her grandchildren. “We have to go out and search for firewood, and at times there isn’t enough,” she says. “When it rains or snows, we can’t go out. All we can do is wait under blankets to keep warm.”
The lack of electricity has also stifled opportunities for the youth, who struggle without access to cell phone charging, internet, or modern conveniences. A local shop owner, who relies on expensive gas to run a small business, says the absence of power makes life even harder. “I can’t have a fridge, and gas is costly. My business suffers,” he explains.
Local authorities acknowledge the delays in electrification, citing budgetary constraints and the high costs of rural infrastructure. A municipal representative stated that electrifying rural areas is nearly five times more expensive than urban projects, with the current initiative costing R36 million for just 500 households.
While the promise of an electrification project has brought hope, Mtshali remains skeptical. “I’ll only believe it when I see it,” she says. For now, the people of Eswati continue waiting for the light they were promised decades ago.
