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Load shedding: South Africans all coping in their own way
As the blackouts increase in frequency, South Africans are forced to shell out to keep their families fed and their businesses running.
AL Fouz Furniture employee Mustafa John looks a stove element at Soweto, 19 April 2022. They have been without electricity for the past 5 days after City Power substation caught fire in Eldorado Park. Eskom announced stage 4 load shedding after Majuba Unit 5 and Tutuka Unit 4 tripped. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
While energy experts have warned consumers to prepare for more blackouts after Eskom announced stage 4 load shedding until the end of the week, ordinary South Africans are not only being forced to put up with the inconvenience, but also have come out of pocket to survive.
Josiah Jiyane from Mabopane said the load shedding was affecting his household.
“It was a struggle to get the children to school. I had to make a fire to warm water for them to bath,” he said.
Jiyane added he didn’t own a gas bottle and had to buy fast food every time the power was out.
“It is getting expensive,” he lamented.
“The load shedding didn’t just spoil my Easter, but also some of my appliances.”
Letlhogonolo Mafela said because she lived close to a hospital in Pretoria West, she did not experience load shedding.
“Never. Only when I visit my friends or boyfriend, do I experience the power cuts,” she said.
Mafela said when her cellphone messages fail to deliver to her boyfriend’s phone, she knew his area was experiencing load shedding.
Also Read: Load shedding: Eskom blames rain and wet coal
Lwande Zitha said he has got so used to the load shedding that it doesn’t stress him out any more.
“It’s not a train smash anymore, I just make sure my laptop is always charged when I need it,” he said.
Nail technician Dee Pampara said the blackouts had an impact on her day and her bookings for the business.
“It makes it difficult to plan a day because every time the power goes off we have to move around clients,” she said.
Pampara said they had a generator but the petrol price was so high that she would rather use petrol in her car.
“It’s costing more to deliver a service which meant we were getting less and less out,” she said.
A hairdresser from Kempton Park, DJ Rothman, said the load shedding impacted the salon because they were dependent on hairdryers and warm water.
“At some point, we were without electricity for two weeks due to cable theft and we were still recovering from that, and now this,” he said.
– marizkac@citizen.co.za
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