By Thembi Siaga
More than 200 people from four villages marched to the Eskom offices in Thohoyandou on Tuesday (17 September), demanding an end to load reduction.
They walked two kilometres from the Thohoyandou Sports Grounds. They want Eskom to tackle illegal connections in their communities.
Protesters from Tshakhuma were joined by residents from other affected villages, including Tsianda, Hamutsha, and Nesengani. Among their demands was that Eskom urgently go door to door and remove all illegal connections. Marchers complained that people on medication that requires refrigeration are affected, resulting in financial burdens and health hazards.
Marchers carried signs and sang, "There's no more time to beg each other; we are tired of living in darkness. Give us the same power and equal rights". Some residents complained that power outages had become worse since July and could last up to four hours.
They said TVET college students and school learners struggled to do their work at night during load reduction.
Community organisations such as the Luvuvhu Energy Forum and SA National Civics Organisation (SANCO) said they had held meetings with Eskom officials and sent letters, but to no avail. "We are suffering, including school leaders and students. We blame load reduction for the rise in crime," said Makondelele Singo, one of the frustrated residents.
A memorandum of grievances was handed to Eskom manager Ntshavheni Nenguda. He promised to respond by 27 September.
Questions were sent to Eskom, but the electricity provider has not yet responded.