BUSINESSES and the public are questioning the City of uMhlathuze’s decision to implement four to four-and-a-half hour power outages blocks during stage two load shedding.
This is in comparison to other cities such as Durban, East London, Secunda, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, who are load shedding for two to two-and-a-half hour periods at a time and twice a day during stage two.
Businesses argue that the longer period of load shedding is drastically affecting turnover, while residents say food items in grocery stores and homes are defrosting in Zululand’s scorching temperatures.
‘I have family in Durban and East London and their stage two load shedding is split into two by two-hour periods, which is manageable for households and business. I strongly believe that the four-hour outages are exacerbating the impacts and effects of load shedding on residents and business,’ said local resident Sandy Camminga.
Small and medium businesses in the CBD further say they are being turned off during peak shopping hours, especially during category two load shedding.
‘Business consumers feel that the CBD should be left alone on Saturday and Sunday mornings and that load shedding should take place in the afternoons instead,’ said Dave Whittaker, Chairperson of the Zululand Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Empangeni Division.
‘This will then mean they can trade in the mornings, which is when most people do their shopping.
‘It will also mean far less traffic congestion during this time in the CBD area, which presents a danger to motorists and pedestrians alike when traffic lights do not function,’ Whittaker said.
He said business concerns had already been channelled to ZCCI President Judith Nzimande, who would discuss the pertinent issues with the City of uMhlathuze.
Damage
uMhlathuze Municipal Manager Dr NJ Sibeko said each municipality was given a quota for load shedding, with the City’s current schedule being the ‘most efficient’ to lessen the load on the grid.
‘If we spread load shedding throughout the day twice a day, the switching on and off may cause excessive damage to appliances and cables. Before we switch on a section, we have to switch off another, otherwise there would be a surge and we would not be able to meet the high load demand.
‘This is a complicated process and electrical engineers have advised that one switch off is easier to manage,’ Sibeko said.
