Load reduction affects SA's low-income areas, reveals Electricity Minister
During a briefing on the state of the country’s electricity grid, the Electricity and Energy Ministe - Kgosientsho Ramokgopa - shared that major suburbs do not bear the brunt of the scheduled power outages.
FILE: Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa addressed a media briefing in Pretoria on 23 February 2025. Picture: @GovernmentZA/X
JOHANNESBURG - Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has revealed that load reduction mainly affects villages and townships in the country.
During a briefing on the state of the country’s electricity grid, the minister shared that major suburbs do not bear the brunt of the scheduled power outages.
According to Eskom, load reduction is implemented to avoid overloading its networks in areas with a higher demand.
Earlier this year, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) held a three-day inquiry into the impact of load reduction on the human rights of citizens.
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However, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) disputed claims that load reduction targets poor communities.
But in Wednesday’s brief, Ramokgopa explained that load reduction is driven by several factors that affect people in low-income areas.
“Where do we find it, load reduction? We find it in villages. We'll find it in peri-urban areas, what we call townships. So load reduction has got, if you like, socio-economic characteristics. Load reduction faces the poor disproportionately.”
Ramokgopa added that they are working to bring an end to load reduction.