Several residents in Ermelo have been left without electricity since yesterday morning, 27 October, with some reports indicating outages began as early as 5:45.

The disruptions have affected various neighbourhoods, with updates shared on a utilities Telegram group showing a series of incidents contributing to the ongoing blackouts.

According to the group, Msukaligwa Municipality has been alerted to multiple outages across the area.

Reports cite causes such as lightning strikes that damaged electrical boxes, vehicles colliding with supply poles, and theft of electrical cables.

One of the incidents reported involves a vehicle that collided with an electrical supply pole at the intersection of General Botha Road and Juriaanse Street, adding further strain to the restoration efforts.

Additionally, some areas, such as 65A Brummer Street, were reportedly without power from as early as 5:45.

Residents have shared concerns about their food in their fridges which will go off soon, too.

As of now, Msukaligwa Municipality has yet to confirm an estimated time for restoration, leaving many residents frustrated and concerned about the delays.

Mandla Zwane, spokesperson for the municipality indicated yesterday, 27 October, that the matter at General Botha Road and Juriaanse Street was reported to the call centre.