Residents in parts of Soweto demand consistency from Eskom after months of irregular power cuts
Following a substation breaking down, Eskom implemented load reduction, however, residents accused Eskom of not sticking to scheduled hours, and power not retuning for hours on end.
Picture: Pexels/George Becker 331209
JOHANNESBURG - Residents in parts of Soweto gathered outside the Eskom customer service hub in Zola on Friday, demanding fewer power outages following nine months of electricity cuts.
In September 2024, a substation broke down, leading to a reduced power supply capacity.
Eskom then implemented a load reduction schedule for four hours, twice a day in the Zola, Jabulani and Zondi areas.
But residents said the power cuts lasted longer, up to seven hours.
Gathered outside the Eskom customer service hub, the residents said they were waiting for the office manager, who was said to be in a meeting at a different branch.
The angry residents said they would not leave until he had addressed them, as he was familiar with their persistent problem.
One resident, Nomvula Mabena, said their power cuts usually went on for an additional three hours at a time.
"Our food gets spoiled, our appliances in the house get damaged, we now have to keep watch of when the power will go on and off, and sometimes the power returns at midnight, we can’t get up from bed to unplug."
She added that they could not bear the winter without electricity.
The memorandum they’ve brought to Eskom contains only one request, that the power cuts are consistent with the schedule and no additional hours are added.
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