Residents protest because of regular electricity outages
Eskom representatives said it would be futile to restore electricity when the cause of the failure had not been fully established.
A group of angry protesting residents in Vosloorus Extension 20, dared the morning’s cold winter weather and blockaded the main road, demanding that Eskom restore electricity supply in the area.
Furious community members told Kathorus MAIL they had been without electricity for three days following a power failure many attributed to a faulty power supply. One resident said the protest action which saw the main road strewn with rocks, debris and burning tyres, was as a result of Eskom’s inadequate electricity supply to the area.
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As the protests continued, EMPD and SAPS officers engaged a community delegation to negotiate to resolve the standoff.
Kathorus MAIL later learnt more about the reason for the morning’s protest action. The police’s presence was to ensure the safety of the Eskom technicians as they established the cause of the electrical failure.
The residents said the protest was a peaceful demonstration to force Eskom to restore electricity without cutting it off from defaulting customers. But the Eskom officials said their operational mandate was to first conduct an audit of each household in the area to ensure no electrical connections were “bridged” to “non-paying” residents.
“Once we have done that, we will have to disconnect all illegal connections and to cut off electricity to non-paying residents. The residents whose electricity bill does not owe will continue to enjoy their electricity,” said a senior Eskom technician in charge of the operation. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
In the end, the residents agreed to allow the Eskom team to conduct the audits on condition the power supply was restored first
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