RESIDENTS in various areas in Durban are frustrated as a technical glitch disrupted the purchase of prepaid electricity tokens across the city.
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The interruption, which eThekwini Municipality has attributed to a network challenge in the electricity vending system, left customers unable to replenish their electricity supply through the usual channels.
The issue, which began early this week, affected numerous vending points throughout Durban, including convenience stores and kiosks where residents typically purchase tokens to maintain their electricity service.
Reports from various neighborhood groups indicated widespread difficulties in areas such as Montclair, The Bluff, Yellowwood Park and surroundings with residents encountering error messages and service unavailability notices upon attempting to buy tokens.
In response to the disruption, the municipality has issued a statement acknowledging the problem and assuring residents that technicians were actively working to resolve the issue.
“We are aware of the temporary disturbance in the electricity vending system,” the statement read.
“Technicians are currently addressing the network challenge, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers.”
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The disruption prompted a flurry of inquiries and complaints from residents, many of whom rely on prepaid electricity tokens as their primary means of accessing electricity.
Social media platforms were abuzz with frustrated posts and queries, as residents sought updates on when the issue would be resolved.
Local businesses that serve as distribution points for the tokens also felt the impact of the outage.
Ward 64 councillor Gavin Hegter said, “It has been down since Wednesday afternoon (July 3). This is a huge problem for customers who need to purchase electricity. From what I understand it is not just the prepaid vending system, but also the fault reporting and internal faults handling system. This could result in delays in repairs of faults.”
As the day progresses, there are still no signs of progress, despite technicians making headway in resolving the network challenge. Authorities expressed optimism that normal service would resume shortly, though they advised residents to continue monitoring official channels for updates.
As the city of Durban tries to navigate through this ongoing network problems, residents remain hopeful for a swift resolution and a return to uninterrupted electricity service.
The municipality urged residents to exercise patience while the technicians work diligently to restore the electricity vending system to full functionality.
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