Residents blocked roads in Boksburg on Monday, with rocks and burning tyres. Photo: Ekurhuleni Metro Police
Service delivery protests spiralled across South Africa on Monday, with disruptive protests reported in Boksburg, Kroonstad and Phoenix.
South Africa is currently experiencing stage 6 load shedding, resulting in 10 to 12-hour daily power cuts that severely impact businesses and consumers.
Protest hotspots included informal settlements, malls, major highways, and near governmental buildings.
Opposition parties in the country have also expressed their intent to take action against the ongoing electricity predicament.
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Ekurhuleni metro police spokesperson Deliwe Ndlovu said traffic was severely impacted by the 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.”
Ndlovu said residents were protesting against electricity blackouts in the area.
READ MORE: Police monitoring electricity protests in Boksburg
According to media reports, residents of Phoenix closed off roads by burning tyres following service delivery issues.
Durban metro police spokesperson Boysie Zungu said Durban Metro Public Order Policing (POP) and Saps were at the scene on Sunday night.
“It is alleged some Phoenix residents have been without electricity for two weeks.
“Yesterday, residents blocked off Phoenix Highway.”
IOL reported that community activist Pastor Collin Moodley said they had been without electricity in the Grove End area for over 40 hours.
“This is an ongoing problem. We have normal load shedding, and then the electricity does not return at the stipulated hour.
“Residents are fed up. Our light bills are still exorbitantly high, and now there has been an 18% increase. How does that work?”
Residents in Kroonstad, Free State, also embarked on a shutdown against the ever increasing blackouts.
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) announced on January 12 that it had approved an 18.65% increase in electricity tariffs for the next financial year.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa previously said his “hands are tied” on Nersa’s decision to hike electricity prices.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa has cancelled his trip to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos to address the energy crisis in the country, the president’s spokesperson said.
“Due to the ongoing energy crisis, President Cyril Ramaphosa has cancelled his working visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos. Currently, the president is convening a meeting with leaders of political parties represented in parliament, National Energy Crisis Committee (NECCOM), and the Eskom board.”
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said it participated in a virtual meeting convened by Ramaphosa, the Eskom board as well as other political parties on Monday.
The party said the president saying that the government is not solely responsible for the provision of electricity and that everyone must take responsibility is untrue.
“This statement is not only objectionable, it is ludicrous and irresponsible because it is solely the ANC government that chose to appoint an incompetent CEO and senior management of Eskom. All the boards and senior management in Eskom are appointed by the ANC government and overseen by an ANC minister.”
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