Eskom has acknowledged growing frustration over frequent power outages affecting residents and businesses in Dannhauser, attributing the disruptions to vandalism, electricity theft and illegal connections.

The power utility stated that investigations into the poor performance of the local electricity network had identified several critical challenges that were undermining supply reliability.

According to Eskom spokesperson Joyce Zingoni, vandalism and theft of infrastructure remain major contributors to the outages, with unauthorised tampering with equipment occurring regularly.

“Cable theft, illegal connections and the deliberate damage to our infrastructure are placing severe strain on the network and affecting service delivery,” Zingoni said.

Eskom also revealed that more than 40% of customers connected to the affected feeder are not paying for electricity, with many resorting to illegal connections that destabilise the system.

Earlier, businesspeople and residents contacted the Courier to voice their growing frustration over the constant outages, which they say have heavily impacted trade and life in the town.

Interventions to stabilise the network

To address the situation, Eskom has implemented a series of interventions aimed at protecting infrastructure and ensuring public safety.

These include transferring the majority of paying customers to an alternative network breaker, a process completed on January 11, as well as conducting audits to identify non-paying users.

Load reduction has also been introduced on the affected network to limit further damage and reduce the risk of equipment failure.

Zingoni said community cooperation was essential to restoring a stable electricity supply.

“We urgently appeal to residents to help protect the electricity network by reporting vandalism, theft and illegal connections. Community support is vital in safeguarding infrastructure and ensuring a reliable supply for all,” she said.

Incidents can be reported to the Eskom Crime Line on 0800 11 27 22 or to the South African Police Service.

“Eskom apologised for the inconvenience caused and thanked the Dannhauser community for its patience as work continues towards a sustainable solution.”

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