Maruleng residents block road over prolonged power outage
Villagers in Ga-Sekororo have barricaded the D21 road in protest after their electricity has been out since December.
LIMPOPO – Residents of Hlohlokwe and Jele villages in Ga-Sekororo in the Maruleng Local Municipality’s Ward 11 blockaded the D21 road on Monday in protest over a prolonged electricity outage that has left the community without power since December.
The blockade has brought traffic to a standstill along the D21 route from Morola towards the Moungwana River, including sections between Kanana and Tickyline. Community members used rocks and other objects to close the road, expressing frustration at what they describe as a lack of urgency in restoring electricity.
Transformer failure leads to extended outage
According to residents, Eskom replaced a faulty 100 KVA transformer on January 6 in an attempt to resolve the outage. However, the newly installed transformer reportedly exploded the following day, on January 7, at around 12:30, plunging the area back into darkness.
Since then, the community has remained without electricity. Residents say the matter was reported to Eskom immediately, but they were informed that the power utility is still sourcing another transformer to replace the damaged one.
The protest has affected motorists and commuters who rely on the D21 road as a key link in the area. Some travellers were forced to turn back or seek alternative routes.
No clear restoration timeline
Eskom has not provided a clear timeline for when electricity would be restored. Local authorities and law enforcement were monitoring the situation, urging calm while engagements with community leaders and Eskom continue.
Residents say the road blockade will remain in place until a concrete solution is provided and electricity is fully restored to Hlohlokwe and Jele villages.
