Police monitoring electricity protests in Boksburg

Police are monitoring the scene of a protest in Boksburg, on the East Rand.

Residents blocked roads on Monday with rocks and burning tyres.

Ekurhuleni metro police spokesperson Deliwe Ndlovu said traffic was severely impacted by the protest.

Protest

“There is a protest at the corner of Rondebult Road and the R554 between Dawn Park and Klippoortjie in Boksburg. Motorists are advised to use alternative routes.”  

He said residents are protesting against electricity blackouts in the area.

“The road has been barricaded by protesters due to a service delivery protest that started earlier this morning. We have SAPS and EMPD monitoring the scene,” he said.

Load shedding

Meanwhile, with growing frustration at the worsening energy situation and no end in sight to stage 6 load shedding, there are calls for a national shutdown over the crisis and the 18,65% electricity price hikes.

Households and businesses are already buckling under the devastating impact of load shedding with angry and frustrated South Africans calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to find a solution to the crisis.

Last week, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, John Steenhuisen, said the party was organising a ‘major march’ to protest against load shedding and tariff increases.

Steenhuisen confirmed that his party is “organising a major protest march to the ANC headquarters at Luthuli House in Johannesburg on 25 January”.

ALSO READ: ‘Stage 6 takes your power, take the ANC’s power’ – DA protest confirmed

Food security

This deliberate power cuts have also affected the agriculture industry.

Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thokozile Didiza expressed deep concerns about the impact of load shedding in agriculture, agribusinesses and the broader food, fibre and beverages sectors.

Didiza acknowledged the difficulty faced by businesses and thanked the leaders for their “heroic efforts” to supply food to the country under challenging conditions.

ALSO READ: ‘Change government to save SA from load shedding’ – Holomisa