Soweto residents are looking for a political solution to their ongoing electricity problems, which have resulted in large parts of the township being plunged into darkness due to illegal connections, collapsing infrastructure and ballooning household debt to Eskom.
On Tuesday, hundreds of residents of the biggest township in the country took their frustrations over prolonged blackouts due to the explosion of overloaded substations and a culture of nonpayment to the mayor of Johannesburg, Mpho Phalatse’s doorstep in Braamfontein.
Though Eskom is responsible for the bulk of electricity supply to the township, protest leaders were unequivocal that they were now looking to the political leadership of the city for intervention as they were directly elected public representatives with authority in their jurisdiction.
Eskom has repeatedly refused to bow to the pressure of protests and the request for the city to intervene was a veiled threat directed to the city’s coalition government that was voted into power last year.
Residents came from various parts of Soweto, including Pimville, Zola, Tshiawelo, Moletsane, Orlando and Diepkloof.
Operation Dudula leader Nhlanhla Lux Dlamini, who led the march said: “You [Phalatse] do not work for whoever you thought you worked for. You work for the people of Soweto and we are the real bosses of your offices...
“We are here to express that this is how leadership should be done; that we should have more interactive platforms, we should see you more on the ground so that you can be part and parcel of who we are...
“Closing it on a high note, we do not leave here saying the mayor is an enemy. The mayor is part of the solution.”
In September, Eskom said Soweto's electricity debt would be reduced from R7.5bn to R5.6bn.
Eskom said by the end of April, Soweto residents owed the power utility at least R4.6bn.
Eskom has in recent months taken a hardline stance against residents who don't pay for electricity.
Resident Mpho Maboya, 62, has been forced to keep her diabetes medication in other people’s fridges for the past six months because her home has no electricity. Her house in Molapo Extension is one of more than a hundred houses in the area that were plunged into darkness after a transformer exploded.
Maboya, who lives with her eight children, showed Sowetan a pile of wood in her yard that she now uses to keep warm, boil water and cook for her family.
“This is how we live. It has been hard for us,” she said.
Maboya said even if electricity is restored to the area, she will not be able to keep up with payments.
The pensioner said the R1,800 social grant was not enough for her to provide for her family.
She said most people want to pay their utility bills but are discouraged by the increasing level of poverty in the area. “To be honest, I can’t even remember the last time I paid an electricity bill. I don’t even know how much I owe but what can I do? I don’t have money.”
Kgopotso Kgoapeng, 37, said going for months without electricity meant that residents had to endure the bitter cold.
Kgoapeng said community members had decided to start collecting funds so that they can replace the transformer themselves. He said each household would contribute R1,000 to buy a new transformer and pay an electrician to install it.
“People are suffering. We have no jobs but Eskom is expecting us to pay high rates,” he said.
Residents sang struggle songs before handing a pile of memorandums to Phalatse.
Phalatse assured residents that her office would report back on their progress to community leaders. She said the debriefing would include a turnaround plan.
Phalatse said the city’s plan was to increase electricity generation capacity to service residents better.
“Should Eskom not be in a position to resolve issues, we do have plans to take over Eskom supply areas... There are lots of historical issues and the biggest one is the mountain of debt because from what I can hear from residents, they [are] willing to pay for services but they don’t have the means to pay for the debt.
“The city has a debt rehabilitation programme. However, that doesn’t apply to Eskom debt... I do think that Eskom together with national treasury they need to think of a plan because they (residents) don’t have money to pay for historical debt but are willing to pay going forward...” Phalatse said.
Mavis Tshabalala, 72, from Mofolo, who lives with two of her grandchildren, said she paid for electricity regularly but sometimes went for two weeks without power.
“This prepaid [electricity] is extremely expensive for a pensioner like me. I spend R200 per week, which amounts to R1,000 at the end of the month. I only get R1,800 per month and that money must be used to feed my grandchildren, get clothes and focus on their school needs,” she said, adding that she pays rent on top of all her monthly expenses.
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