City of Ekurhuleni takes necessary steps to ease impacts of load-shedding

Executive Mayor Tania Campbell and Senzi Sibeko, the MMC for Water, Sanitation, and Energy, visited the Zestfontein Solar PV Project site recently.

This project will add 90MW to the electrical grid in Ekurhuleni.

The overall self-generated power supply will be sufficient to fight stage one of load-shedding when combined with the other solar PV projects in the city, which are in various stages of construction.

According to Warren Gwilt, the City of Ekurhuleni is acting practically to reduce its dependence on Eskom.

“This past week, high levels of load-shedding have taken a tremendous toll on residents of the city, its infrastructure and the economy. Earlier in the year, the city lost R2b due to stage six load-shedding,” said Gwilt.

Eskom has requested a planned 32% rise in electricity rates from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) for the next year.

The city has opposed this increase because residents just cannot afford the outrageous price increase. They also encourage locals to exercise their legal rights and inform NERSA of their complaints.

Campbell said that in her letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, she will emphasise the negative impacts load-shedding has had on the city and its citizens.

She further said that she will write to NERSA as well to express the city’s disagreement with the proposed enormous increase because their already overloaded and stressed residents cannot afford it.

“We categorically oppose Eskom’s exorbitant price hikes and are working tirelessly to create a self-generated energy network. We encourage all residents and businesses who have self-generated, excess energy, to approach the city to feedback into the grid,” said Campbell.

The city’s management is actively working to protect Ekurhuleni communities from the effects of load-shedding and its unforeseen consequences.