They took to social media to express their frustrations, some stated that their streets being dark in a crimeridden country does not make their life any easier; while some suggested a change in Eskom’s leadership.
On the Greater Tzaneen Municipality Facebook page, some locals even suggested that Eskom remove their electricity poles, transformers and metre boxes as they “only” serve as aesthetics. Several users complained about power cuts in area 5, suggesting that the area is always targeted, “Are you fighting with area 5 or something?” asked one person.
Another person on Facebook said the power cuts have resulted in their TV being damaged. Local businesses have been adversely impacted as some rely on electricity to operate.
Eskom has explained load-shedding as being a controlled disruption of power- a planned switch off instructed by Eskom National Control and carried out by Eskom and municipal control rooms in an emergency to lower demand.
Also read: Driving in the dark: loadshedding tips
A barber at Dan village who spoke on condition of anonymity told Herald that load-shedding has negatively impacted his business.
“Getting load-shedding three times a day means I have to close my salon the whole day, imagine getting load-shedded from 05:00-07:30 then from 13:00-15:30 and again from 21:00-22:00. When are you going to have time do your work?” asked the frustrated barber.
Eskom has urged consumers to switch off all non-essential electrical appliances during load-shedding to avoid power surges when the power returns.
“Failure to do so may lead to unnecessary trips or failures, and or damages to household appliances when supply is restored,” Eskom stated on the website and social media pages.
They have supplied safety tips for consumers, which should be followed during load-shedding:
– Make use of surge protection: the greatest cause of damage to equipment from a power outage is from electrical surges. Installing a surge protection device can help minimise some damage in unforeseen situations when the power goes off or is restored.
– Unplug your cables: it is vital to unplug computer power cables from the sockets, as well as telephone cables from the modem when there is an imminent power outage. This applies to all sensitive equipment.
– Electric fencing: to ensure that your electric fencing continues to function during load-shedding, your electric fence and electric gate battery should have a backup battery.
– Be vigilant: ensure that you are especially alert when arriving at or leaving your home in the evenings, as the street lights and your outside lighting will not be functioning during the load-shedding process.
Also read: How to cope with loadshedding & homeschooling
– Back-it-up: when working on a computer, back up important and save your work incrementally so that you don’t lose your work/files during load-shedding.
– Portable modem: you can either use a 3G internet dongle or your smartphone as a modem for your laptop to keep you connected to the internet during load-shedding.
– Lighting: a battery-powered torch is essential in every household. Candles and matches must be used with care as they can cause fires.
They have also issued tips that consumers can follow to prepare for a scheduled load-shedding:
– Keep your cellphone fully charged when the power is on.
– Invest in a small LP gas lamp for good quality lighting over a large area.
– Install solar-powered security ad garden lights.
– Keep frozen bottled water in your freezer to help keep food cold during a power outage.
– Prepare meals beforehand and remember to switch off your oven if it was on when the power outage started.
