KHULA Village residents just outside St Lucia who have been without electricity for four weeks, have had their power restored after they took to the streets in protest this morning (Tuesday).

The affected community members who reside in a section of Khula Village, blockaded the R618 near St Lucia at the Bundu Basher road from about 4am today.

ALSO READ: Protest action closes R618 between St Lucia and Mtubatuba

No one could enter or exit St Lucia.

Mtubatuba police and the Public Order Policing (POP) unit spent the morning on scene and the road was reopened by midday.

No arrests were made as the protesters dispersed into the bushes.

‘These residents have been without electricity for four weeks and despite engaging with Eskom numerous times, the situation was not restored until today,’ said Khula Village ward councillor, S’ya Khumalo.

‘All the residents relying on transformer AS11 were affected after the transformer blew.’

The transformer reportedly blew as, apart from supplying electricity to those households who are legitimately connected to it, it became overloaded with illegal connections.

Eskom was on scene this afternoon, disconnecting all illegal connections and replacing the transformer.  

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