SANDU issues 72-hour ultimatum over 17-day power outage at Middelburg military base

The South African National Defence Union (SANDU) has drawn a line in the sand, giving the Department of Defence just 72 hours to restore electricity to the 4 SA Infantry Battalion in Mpumalanga. The base in Middelburg has been plunged into darkness for 17 consecutive days.

Legal representatives for the union have served a formal letter of demand to Defence Minister Angie Motshekga. If the lights do not come back on, the union warns of looming pickets, protests, and a battle in court.

Families Stranded in Winter Chill

The blackout has left roughly 100 residents, including active-duty soldiers and their children, without access to electricity or hot water. This comes during some of the coldest months of the year, following severe weather warnings from the South African Weather Service.

SANDU spokesperson Pikkie Greeff highlighted the severity of the situation, noting that the lack of basic utilities is a direct hit to the constitutional rights of their members. The union maintains that these conditions violate the right to dignified living and working environments.

The Blame Game Begins

While the SANDF claims the issue lies with municipal infrastructure, the local government has pushed back against these allegations. Siphiwe Dlamini, the military spokesperson, stated that technicians and backup generators were deployed to fix a municipal fault.

However, the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality has denied any knowledge of a power failure affecting the military base. Spokesperson Sibisiso Chauke contradicted the military's version of events, leaving the actual cause of the 17-day outage a mystery.

As the 72-hour deadline ticks down, the Department of Defence faces mounting pressure to resolve the crisis. For the families living at the battalion, the wait for warmth and light continues amidst the bureaucratic confusion.