Protea South residents left for three years without electricity
The recent march was also not a success and still has not brought a better response since Vusi Maphalala from the Eskom’s Key Accounts Department was not in the office.
Some residents of Protea South have been living without electricity since 2020 due to transformer complications.
Since then, the group has taken part in countless marches to the Eskom depot to cry for help.
They recently embarked on what they called ”the 100th march” to the Eskom depot in Midway on March 25 to try and solve their issue once again.
The marches have been a way for the community to directly talk to Eskom representatives and get quality responses.
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The latest march follows the zero positive response residents have been getting after they paid R500 per household as instructed by Eskom.
“People were told to pay R500 and it should cover 60% of the households. They paid the money and it even went up to 87% of houses that actually paid but still it’s now 2024 and people do not have electricity,” said one community leader, Walter Mnisi.
The issue of overloading and damaged transformers affects many communities across the country and Protea South happens to be one of them.
Residents of the area have stated that this problem started after new shacks were squeezed into the transformer that was originally meant to hold the capacity of 78 houses.
“Once a transformer or mini-substation is overloaded, it explodes and as a result that entire area will be out of power,”said Group Executive for Eskom’s Distribution Division, Monde Bala.
“When a transformer explodes, it can’t be fixed but it has to be replaced and replacing a transformer can cost anywhere between R80000 to R100000.”
The recent march was also not a success and still has not brought a better response since Vusi Maphalala from the Eskom’s Key Accounts Department was not in the office.
Having no electricity has caused more strain on the lives of the affected residents as some elders have health issues such as diabetes, cancer, heart conditions and more.
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“I am mostly affected by this issue of not having electricity because I have cancer and there is a wound that needs a lot of warmth in cold weathers. I also have an eight month old child who has a heart condition.
“The baby sometimes has breathing difficulties and I have to assist with machines but I can’t do that with no electricity.
Going to Chiawelo Clinic is something I sometimes can’t do because of transport costs.
“I’m pleading with Eskom to help us because we are facing a lot of health issues that needs electricity. We have suffered enough without electricity and we have been lied to,” said a resident, Khanyisile Mazibuko.
A response from Eskom was not received until time of going to press.
