The Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee has warned of protest action in the township between Tuesday and Wednesday, as their fight with Eskom continues.
This after the cash strapped power utility cut power supply to parts of Soweto in efforts to recoup the R18 billion electricity bill owed to Eskom.
The leader of the Committee, Trevor Ngwane, claims Eskom is treating their residents unfairly.
Ngwane says, “The people cannot afford the high tariffs by Eskom. Over the past 17 years there have been high tariffs so we are demanding affordable electricity for all. But what is happening is that Eskom is on the attack. It is using the load shedding crisis to resolve long-standing disputes with poor communities and blaming Sowetans for the crisis in Eskom.”
He said the power utility has labelled or defined poor-working class areas as low paying areas and has said that it will do more load shedding in these areas.
“We think that that this unfair, adds Ngwane.
In this video below FullView looks at the electricity crisis in Soweto
Shutdown
Residents in Soweto, Alexandra, Tembisa, Eldorado Park and the Vaal are expected to participate in a two day township shutdown.
Residents are calling on Eskom to sit down with them in efforts to tackle the electricity supply crisis and the debt.
One of the organizers, Rufus Tshoke says: “All we want is for Eskom to come to our respective communities and discuss the issue of the debt and come with possible solutions.”
“Our children go to school with no food, senior citizens are also the hardest hit because they can’t operate their medical machines, and our appliances have been damaged because of the on-going load shedding,” says Tshoke.
In the video Human Rights Foundation discuss issues between Eskom and Soweto
I hope normal schooling is not affected by all of this, kids need to learn and be left out of this whole thing. Their attendance is also for their safety, keep them away from the streets. #SowetoShutdown
— Palesa Magauta Radebe (@PalesaM_Radebe) February 25, 2020
We have loadshedding because of Sowetoans… now we gonna have a roadshedding???… haibo ngeke sizwe ngani .. pay the money or live ko dark city #SowetoShutdown pic.twitter.com/0DohvUFFy7
— MissLoverLover (@MissQabs) February 25, 2020
Recovery of revenue differences is a matter of timing@NERSA_ZA @News24 @TimesLIVE @eNCA @iol @SABCNewsOnline @TheCitizen_News @ewnupdates @Newzroom405 @BDliveSA @Fin24 pic.twitter.com/SctbUpa6ts
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) February 24, 2020
Please report electrical emergencies and vandalised infrastructure to @Eskom_SA national call centre 0860037566 with a clear description of the hazard and full street address. pic.twitter.com/NH4LU1RcuZ
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) February 22, 2020
