SADA demands Eskom to discontinue unexplained power cuts

BURGERSFORT

Unexplained power cuts are a significant concern for communities, leading to substantial disruptions in daily life, economic losses for businesses, and compromised safety. More than 15 villages in the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM) had been experiencing erratic power cuts. Most of these affected villages are connected to the Penge Substation. These power cuts are not part of the loadshedding or load reduction implemented by Eskom.

A family from Praktiseer complained that even a drizzling rain affects  their electricity. “We last had electricity on Monday at 19:00, more than 30 hours has passed without power, we keep on reporting the matter to Eskom with no help.” According to Socialist Agenda of Dispossessed Africans (SADA, one of the political parties in the FTLM Council, the villagers had been experiencing electricity cuts off since the 18th of November.

“Amid such mayhem and extensive frustrations, no notices have been issued from Eskom to eligible customers, thus violating their rights to utilize the already paid up energy. Your institution has failed to mitigate any anticipation of these cuts off, and it has become normal to continue with the disruptions of electricity without informing your customers,” said SADA in a letter directed to Eskom shared to this publication.

The party said that such deliberate conducts of cutting off electricity on continuous basis have affected many households including the party’s members, such impacts include the loss of valuable electric appliances such as fridges, kettles, and also some grocery which become rotten as a result.


Some of the areas that are continuously affected by the power cuts are Praktiseer (Dark City), Ga-Motodi, Mabocha, Moraba, Motshana, Makofane, Sekopung, Penge, Malepe and other villages in the FTLM.


SADA posed these questions to Eskom : “Proof of notice of electricity cuts off directed to customers of the above-mentioned areas. If there is no proof of notice what is your remedial actions to avert future occurrences?”

The party also demanded: “The commitment from Eskom to reimburse those who have lost groceries and electronic appliances as a result of power cuts”.

The party urged Eskom to notify communities about the cut offs: “The commitment from your institution to utilize internal memos and local media house to inform customers in case of electricity cut off and force majeure.”

This publication also forwarded queries about the continued power cuts to Eskom Limpopo spokesperson, Matshidiso Phaladi, she was yet to respond to questions posed to her at the time of going to print.