Power outages in the Helderberg Basin left residents furious as their Heritage Day was either interrupted or completely derailed. The inconveniences ranged from mild annoyance to near disastrous, as communities looked to Eskom for answers.
At around 07:30 on Tuesday (25 September), the communities of Croydon, Macassar, and Sir Lowry’s Pass were left without electricity. While some parts of Macassar and Sir Lowry’s Pass had power swiftly restored, Croydon and other parts of Macassar were without electricity for as long as 17 hours.
Jillian Standaar, a Croydon resident who was looking after a neighbour’s dogs while the neighbour was away on holiday, claimed she was unable to provide an ailing dog with heart medication due to the power outage. She tried to enter the neighbour’s property, but was unable to access the automatic garage door because it was powered by electricity. Standaar had promised to take care of the dog, but panicked because she was left in the dark about whether the pet would be able to survive without its tablet. Luckily, the dog was able to survive without its medication, food or water for a single day.
In Macassar, residents claim power outages are a regular occurrence. “There have been too many power outages to count,” said Auriël September from New Scheme in Macassar, who was without electricity for four hours. With constant periodic lack of power in the area she could not be sure how long she would be inconvenienced, resulting in her not being able to do household chores.
According to Ward 109 councillor Peter Helfrich “power outages have been an ongoing issue in ward 109 for several years, predating my term in office.” In office since 2021, he stated he had seen how the power outages have a profound impact on the community of Macassar. It affects their ability to prepare meals, which can lead to food insecurity as perishable items spoil. Residents struggle to get ready for work, affecting their employment and income stability. The cold nights without heating exacerbate the situation, putting vulnerable individuals at risk of health issues. Local businesses are similarly affected, facing interruptions that have resulted in lost revenue and job cuts.
Ward 100 councillor Norman McFarlane echoed Helfrich’s sentiment and expressed his frustration with Eskom’s service delivery in Sir Lowry’s Pass. “Since I have started in my position there has not been a single day that at least one section of Sir Lowry’s Pass has been unaffected by a power outage,” he said. McFarlane believed the manner in which Eskom responded to the electricity situation in Sir Lowry’s Pass was unacceptable. However, both McFarlane and Helfrich say their hands are tied as councilmen. “Eskom is a national government entity, and as a ward councillor at a local government level, I do not have direct authority over their operations,” stated Helfrich.
Eskom has acknowledged that power outages occurred in the aforementioned areas on Tuesday 25 September. The power-utility company stated the reason for the outages was due to a fault on the electrical network in Macassar and Croydon, whereas in Sir Lowry’s Pass it was a result of vandalism of the electrical network infrastructure. Eskom’s technical team managed to complete repairs and power was restored to all areas. Eskom thanked the customers who were affected for their patience and apologised for any inconvenience caused.
Eskom has requested that for future outages, customers should utilise the MyEskom Customer App, which is available on the iStore and Google Play Store, or use the Alfred Chatbot on the Eskom website to log faults. The MyEskom Customer App and the Alfred Chatbot allow users to log a fault instantaneously and immediately provide a reference number needed to track progress on the fault. Alternatively, customers can contact the Share Call number at 08600 37566 or email customerservices@eskom.co.za.
