Residents of Hammanskraal's ward 75 have slammed the government's recently celebrated "300 days without blackouts" milestone as disingenuous, saying it rang hollow to townships residents like them who continue to endure persistent load reduction.
They expressed their grievances during a march to Eskom’s Temba offices on Friday to demand the suspension of load reduction with immediate effect.
According to them, load reduction puts the lives of individuals with chronic illnesses at risk, particularly those reliant on oxygen machines that require a constant power supply to facilitate breathing.
Their worries were also that load reduction can persist for longer hours a day, posing threats to people whose medications require refrigeration to maintain their efficacy.
Although load-shedding remains on hold, Eskom has introduced load reduction measures from 5am to 9am and 5pm to 10pm to alleviate pressure on transformers and mini-substations.
Eskom said on its website that load reduction is necessary to prevent equipment damage caused by illegal connections and electricity theft in certain areas
Protesters brandished placards bearing messages such as "Suspend Load Reduction Immediately", "Release Full-Year Schedule Now", and "Down with Internal Corruption" as they voiced their demands and frustrations.
Katlego Mthombeni, a community leader, said: “The electricity minister has said it is 300 days without blackout which is not true because in black townships we still experience this persistent load reduction.”
He said on January 7 the community convened a meeting to address concerns about the relentless load reduction imposed by Eskom and resolve to embark on a peaceful march.
He said in addition to the demand that Eskom must immediately suspend load reduction, residents also want the power utility to hold employees accountable for facilitating illegal connections to the grid.
He said illegal electricity connections unfairly burden law-abiding electricity customers.
"The impact of prolonged power outages is devastating, particularly for residents with chronic illnesses who rely on oxygen machines to breathe. Additionally, medications that require refrigeration to maintain their efficacy are compromised, rendering them ineffective and resulting in financial losses,” he said.
A resident from Temba Unit D, David Leo, griped about the persistent load reduction, which seems to be imposed without explanation or warning.
He said patients relying on oxygen machines and refrigerated medication are particularly vulnerable during load reduction as they are left without electricity for extended periods.
"Moreover, the predictable load reduction schedule makes residents targets for criminals, who take advantage of the darkness. Many people run businesses from home, which are also severely impacted by the power cuts," he said.
Patrick Phiri, chairperson of the South African National Civics Organisation in ward 75, lamented the fact that residents were facing a severe challenge with load reduction and that the government was not coming to the party to help them.
"For far too long, we have endured these problems in silence, but now we say, 'Enough is enough.' We're tired of the persistent load reduction, which not only causes inconvenience but also damages our electrical appliances,” he said.
Eskom officials, who received the memorandum of demands, were given a seven-day deadline to respond. They assured the protesters that they would provide feedback within the stipulated time-frame.
Power utility spokesperson, Daphne Mokoena, was reached out to for comment on Friday, but as of now, she has not provided a response.