Impact of Eskom’s equipment failure cripples Soweto residents
“We live where most people do not have an alternative for electricity. We have elderly people with health issues."
As the country battles rolling black, Soweto’s resident face a rampant battle for electricity supply, with no end in sight for SMMEs as many lose source of income.
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“We live where most people do not have an alternative for electricity. We have elderly people with health issues. It gets worse as we approach winter months,” said Pensioner, Bafikile Xaba, whose small business shut down when the transformer in Molapo exploded last December affecting 114 houses.
Xaba’s words echo the sentiments of many Sowetans who have been plunged into the darkness for months.
More townships are experiencing unplanned and prolonged outages due to the prevalent catastrophe of Eskom’s mini sub-stations and transformers which has worsened in recent years.
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A 2022 report by the power utility shared that it was having shortages of mini sub-stations and transformers, due to the high number of its equipment that needed repairs or replacements.
It cited this had put a strain on Eskom’s ability to swiftly replace and restore supply to the affected areas across Gauteng.
Urban News visited Xaba’s home where she has been operating her tavern outlet since the 90s when she left her work and opened the establishment as a source of income, which quickly gained popularity with locals.
She tells the publication before the explosion, the brewery truck used to make weekly drops, delivering stock between 50 and 100 crates. On a good day, she made R7000 in sales, with her business also doubling as a distributor for smaller tavern businesses who made frequent stock purchases from her.
“I now operate on a small scale so that I am able to put food on the table for the children. Maybe now I order 3/4 cases and ask for ice blocks from those with electricity- and empty bottles to freeze so I can keep the beers cold. That is just to put food for these kids, at times I can’t sell anything,” said Xaba.
“Some young boys come in every now and then to play pool to keep off the streets but I tell them once the box is fixed, it will go back to being a spot for grown-ups. “
Xaba longs for electricity to be restored in the area so she can return back to business, however cited that she remained worried if business would return to normal.
“I have to return back into business, there is no other way, I will have to start afresh, but it is difficult to even consider taking a debt from the brewery. I am not sure where I will get the money but I would rather borrow money from a person than from them.”
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According to the utility, the current Soweto debt is over R2,2 billion with a total of 168 178 customers of which 90 513 are zero buyers. This equates to more than 60% of customers in Soweto who do not pay for or buy the electricity they consume.
The township is marred by illegal connections, cable theft and non-payment of electricity by a majority of residents.
A few meters from her home, at the corner of Mmakau Street is funeral home, JD Funerals, which has been operating at the location in Molapo since 1932 and has not been spared.
The business has relied on a 60kVA diesel generator since the explosion. The crisis was an unexpected blow resulting in financial losses.
“Our generator is refilled three or four times a week because it is constantly running. We have no other alternative at the moment and a generator at that particular time when we needed a second source of electricity was best,” Tsholo Tsotesi, Managing Director at JD Funerals.
The business roughly spends an estimated R30 000 every week, amounting to R120 000 a month refilling diesel necessary to keep the operations of the business running.
“In any business you have overheads that are normal but then all of a sudden there is unexpected expenditure on an extreme scale. It has been tough, to say the least.
“In our line of work, we use a cold storage facility, and the generator has stepped in the gap in order to do the work that we need to do.”
Another resident, Mamphi Mabe, a part time florist in Johannesburg painted a bleak picture of what landlords in the township have been enduring.
Like many in the township, she got into the rental business for additional income to support her family. This is also money she has been eyeing to send her daughter to tertiary since completing her matric.
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The business which leased out three backrooms at her home was left empty when two tenants vacated the rooms because of the electricity issue, leaving one tenant.
“This has been a nightmare. I don’t earn well because of the number of days I work. Children are not working and now that I have lost two tenants is a massive loss of income for our family. The money from the rentals plus the pension grant made a huge difference especially considering the rocketing food prices and cost of living.”
