Lights return to some parts of Diepsloot Ext 6
After more than 19 months without electricity, power has been restored to parts of Diepsloot Ext 6, but incomplete transformer installations continue to leave some households without supply.
Diepsloot Ext 6 residents celebrated as Eskom finally restored electricity to sections after almost 2 years in darkness.
Alhough the recovery remains incomplete, with some areas still without power, it was a welcomed respite to the dark.
The prolonged outage began on August 21, 2024, when Eskom removed 35 transformers from the area, citing illegal connections and safety concerns. At the time, the decision left hundreds of households without electricity, sparking protests and ongoing disputes between the utility and residents.
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Amanda Qithi Baanyang, from Eskom’s Gauteng media office, said that the transformers were not installed in accordance with Eskom standards and posed risks to the network and technicians.
The power utility also indicated that restoration would be done in phases, linked to compliance measures, infrastructure upgrades, and the rollout of smart meters.
One of the residents, Mike Maake, confirmed that electricity has been restored in their section, describing a sense of relief after months of hardship.
“I am excited that electricity has finally been restored after 19 months in my section, but the process of reinstalling transformers is not done. Some parts of Ext 6 are still without electricity, and this is unfair to those who are still in the dark.”
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During the 19-month outage, Maake says they were forced to adapt to difficult living conditions.
“The biggest challenges were not being able to refrigerate food, spending more money on gas, candles, and paraffin, and having to charge phones and lights in other extensions every day. We also faced network issues.”
Maake said, as part of the restoration process, Eskom has replaced older infrastructure in some households with new smart meters.
The uneven restoration, however, has led to renewed tension within the community, as some households have returned to normal life while others continue to wait.
Eskom was contacted for further comment on what has changed in the restoration process, the status of the remaining transformers, and a timeline for full recovery.
However, no response had been received at the time of publication.
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