KwaDukuza residents demand loadshedding equity

Chief Albert Luthuli Street came to a standstill on Monday morning when hundreds of residents knocked on the door of KwaDukuza municipality to hand over a memorandum on “selective loadshedding”.

The residents assembled to express their dissatisfaction and demanded a fair and equitable blackout schedule.

This followed a resolution taken at a public meeting held at KwaDukuza People’s Park on Saturday, February 25, where concerned residents met and elected an interim committee, chaired by Walter Schotter, to draft the memorandum.

Schotter said they demanded a detailed breakdown of the infrastructure of both the northern and southern power grids, detailing all major substations and the areas supplied.

He said they wanted to know details of where Eskom’s feed to KwaDukuza ends and where KDM’s responsibility begins, detailing which areas were affected should Eskom have to isolate their individual feeds.

“We need comprehensive and detailed reasons why only certain areas or wards within the KDM licenced distribution area are affected by loadshedding. We also demand the right to be consulted when drafting this schedule and be given a list of exempted areas with valid reasons as to why they have been exempted,” said Schotter.

In the memorandum, the municipality was asked to minimise the effects of loadshedding on businesses and its residents.

They also demanded a detailed explanation of why electrical bills remained the same, and in some instances even increased, despite the ongoing loadshedding

Residents requested a meeting with KwaDukuza mayor Lindi Nhaca, the municipal manager and electricity director.

KwaDukuza mayor Lindile Nhaca condemned the demonstration as a permit had not been acquired as required by the Gatherings Act.

However, she committed to addressing the concerns contained within the memorandum.

“We have a constitutional obligation to work with ratepayers’ associations, residents, big business, and all other stakeholders to address challenges facing our communities. Loadshedding is one of our biggest challenges and we believe that we must all work together to ensure that we tide over this storm,” said Nhaca.

She said the memorandum would be subjected to internal processes as a matter of urgency which would also form part of their on-going engagement with Eskom.

“The municipality has finalised its public participation process in an effort to develop its first energy policy which seeks to address a number of issues, including alternative energy for both households and business. This policy is a regulatory framework which is aligned with national government initiatives to support households and businesses to minimise loadshedding and allow residents to install private energy supply. The energy policy could be approved this month, and it will further inform council’s position on issues relative to energy security.”

Schotter said notices of their intention to gather were served on the mayor and community safety on February 27.

“Up until Monday, there was no communication from KDM informing us that we had not followed procedure. As a matter of courtesy we did notify both the mayor and KDM safety and security via their offices in writing. Signed acknowledgements of receipt are on hand. It is now shocking to note that the mayor claims that our gathering was illegal. If she did deem it illegal, it begs the question why she did not have the crowd dispersed with the law enforcement agencies at her disposal?”

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