Monica Komani (73) was among the first residents to live in Grogro and said in 40 years the community had received no services other than a single tap for water. (Phtot: Riaan Marais) 
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality said it would make R7-million available to provide electricity to the impoverished community of Grogro following protests, road closures and threats of further unrest should they remain without basic services.
Officials pledged to work throughout the weekend to negotiate terms with the landowner, the WJ van Rooyen Trust, and are expected to return to the community on Monday with a clear timeline for when the first electricity poles will be installed.
Despite the promises made by Deputy Mayor Gary van Niekerk and the mayor’s chief of staff, Mlungisi Lumka, the oldest residents of the informal settlement doubt they will ever see water, electricity and toilets at Grogro.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/DSC_2540-copy.jpg "Gary van Niekerk. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)")
“I have been here for 40 years, and the only thing the city ever gave us was one tap,” said Monica Komani.
When the 73-year-old moved from Motherwell to Grogro, there were only two other houses on the property just off Kragga Kamma Road.
“Back then, there was no plan. There were only two other families staying here, and we did not expect to get water and electricity. But, over time, more and more people moved here, and negotiations with the city for basic services began many years ago.”
Komani said the community had protested several times, but was always placated with “empty promises” from politicians.
She does not believe that the promises made by Van Niekerk and the other officials who visited their community will come to fruition.
“I pray to God that something good will happen, because I have faith in him. But I have no faith in politicians.
“They need to come into Grogro. They need to see how our people live and the daily struggles we face. But I don’t think I will see a politician set foot in our streets in my lifetime,” said Komani.
Her neighbour, 69-year-old Rozern Nyoti, who has lived in Grogro for at least 46 years, also does not believe the community will get electricity in her lifetime.
“When our community started growing, our first fight was for water. They put a single tap near the soccer field, at the edge of the settlement,” she said.
“Later, we fought for electricity, and eventually we resorted to stealing it. Obviously, I don’t like hearing that we are stealing power, but after more than 40 years it has become our only option.”
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Grogro-people-1.jpg "Rozern Nyoti (left) with her daughter Heidi Mralaza and grandsons Hlalumi (3) and Indabele (2). (Photo: Riaan Marais)")
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Grogro-people-3.jpg "Heidi Mralaza has to fetch water from Grogro's only tap every day for all her household work and cooking. (Photo: Riaan Marais)")
Last week, about 300 disgruntled residents of Grogro blocked roads in the area with burning branches and rubble, disrupting traffic and businesses.
Read more: NMB electricity crisis — illegal connection cut-offs spark Grogro residents’ anger
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_1817-copy.jpg "Grogro residents protest on 15 October against the cutting of illegal electricity connections. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)")
The deputy mayor and a delegation of city officials met with the community on Wednesday afternoon, and the city agreed to report back within two days.
Van Niekerk said negotiations with representatives of the landowner, the WJ van Rooyen Trust, would be undertaken to either buy the land or to get permission for services to be installed.
On Friday, Van Niekerk, Lumka and several other officials, including the MMC for electricity and energy, Ziyanda Mnqokoyi, returned to provide residents with feedback, but it was not well received.
Lumka said negotiations were ongoing with the landowner, but the asking price for the land had escalated drastically since previous engagements with the trust.
Secondary negotiations to gain access to the land for services to be installed were also ongoing.
Alternative plan
Lumka said an alternative plan involved the relocation of residents to a new settlement called N2 North — a portion of land in the vicinity of the Baywest Mall that has been allocated for social housing.
Residents said they were not opposed to relocating, but it would be a long process, and they would still need temporary services at Grogro.
Resident Monde Mbezu said it was understandable that the property price had increased because the city has been dragging its feet on the issue for years.
Another resident, Zukile Futa, said schoolchildren preparing for exams could not study in the dark. He said they were fed up with politicians who came to their community with “lies and empty promises”.
“You have failed us dismally. We are done. Get in your cars and go,” he screamed at the city officials, and threatened them with “Plan B”.
While there is no clear indication of what Plan B entails, security operatives in the area said their intelligence indicated that the Grogro community intended to damage nearby infrastructure to cut electricity to the surrounding suburbs.
When asked about this, Grogro community leaders refused to comment.
Following a brief discussion with the officials on the scene, Lumka told residents that the city would make R7-million available to install temporary electricity infrastructure, but asked for their patience as they negotiated with the WJ van Rooyen Trust.
His suggestion that they would engage with the trust on Monday and report back to the community in seven days was vehemently rejected. He then pledged that city officials would engage with the property owner over the weekend so that clear feedback could be provided by Monday.
Resident Henry Mnyanda said the only feedback they were interested in was seeing contractors digging holes where the electricity poles needed to be installed. DM