By [email protected] (Amanda Khoza)

Ramaphosa said in some places he had heard that those responsible for this were Eskom employees looking for a quick buck.

“You as members of the community want something cheap and don’t want to pay and then think this clever guy will connect you to the electricity system …”

This results in the transformers being overloaded and exploding, said Ramaphosa.

“It then disconnects thousands of households and it just becomes dark and then we are the ones that go back and blame Eskom. We then say Eskom is switching us off and then Eskom goes and gets another transformer and install it.

“Eskom brings another one and the community gets angry. In the end these transformers have to be imported and when we keep installing we end up running short of transformers and then there is darkness and then we blame Eskom.”

Public enterprise minister Pravin Gordhan urged communities to protect electricity infrastructure.

“In Evaton we have a serious problem. We have too many transformers there that are being damaged. Transformers explode because there are illegal connections and more power is being taken from the transformer than it has the capacity for,” said Gordhan.

He appealed to the community to “not allow people to steal transformers and damage substations”.

He added that Emfuleni municipality owed Eskom R5bn and that needed to be resolved.

Sixty-one-year-old Sekgola Lepota from phase 1 in Tshepiso told Ramaphosa he was struggling to find employment.

“I have no food in the house, the wife almost left me. Mr President. I am not angry with you, I am pleading that you make a plan for senior citizens who are qualified because we are going to impart the skills that we have learnt and pass it on to the youth. I am asking for a job sir.”

by Ben Nsemo August 13, 2022, 8:28 am

by Ben Nsemo August 13, 2022, 6:34 am

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