{"id":266954,"date":"2025-07-21T13:11:34","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T11:11:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/?p=266954"},"modified":"2025-07-21T13:16:29","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T11:16:29","slug":"eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/","title":{"rendered":"Eskom struggles to restore supply amid rising criminal activities and community protests"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CAPE TOWN<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Eskom<\/a> has ramped up recovery efforts across the Western Cape as prolonged power outages continue to plague communities, with infrastructure theft and illegal connections severely hampering restoration work in townships and surrounding areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The state-owned electricity utility confirmed on Saturday that\u00a019 areas\u00a0are currently experiencing extended blackouts, with residents in Khayelitsha, Delft, and Wallacedene among the worst affected by the ongoing supply crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infrastructure theft cripples Delft supply network<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Delft area\u00a0has emerged as a particular hotspot for criminal activity, with deliberate tampering of pole top boxes and rampant illegal connections causing systematic overloads that lead to transformer failures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“These ongoing criminal activities are not only disrupting electricity supply but are also further delaying efforts to address the growing backlog of reported faults in the area,” Eskom stated in their latest update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The utility condemned what it described as “acts of electricity theft and infrastructure vandalism” that continue to undermine essential service delivery while placing immense financial strain on the organisation, costing\u00a0millions in repairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communities experiencing prolonged outages include: Khayelitsha; Delfr; Wallacedene; Blue Downs; Eersteriver; Bloekombos; Du Noon; Uitsig; Philippi; Bardale; Tableview; Blackheath; Belhar; Macassar; Klapmuts; Fisantekraal; Nomzamu and Carbon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protests hamper repair efforts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Eskom’s restoration work faces additional challenges from\u00a0protests at several Customer Network Centres (CNCs), which the utility says compromise both the safety of repair teams and their ability to attend to critical faults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We appeal for calm and cooperation from customers to ensure that we continue our restoration efforts without disruption,” the utility stated, urging residents to use official contact channels rather than visiting CNCs directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public urged to report criminal activity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The electricity provider has issued a strong appeal for community cooperation in combating infrastructure theft and illegal connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Residents can report incidents through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Eskom Toll-Free Crime Hotline: 0800 11 27 22<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Local SAPS stations<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Anonymous reporting options available<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    “We urge residents to work together with Eskom and law enforcement to hold perpetrators accountable,” the utility emphasised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Eskom customers are also encouraged to use digital platforms for fault reporting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • MyEskom Customer App\u00a0(available on App Store and Google Play)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Alfred Chatbot\u00a0on the Eskom website<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • WhatsApp service: 08600 37566<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Eskom has ramped up recovery efforts across the Western Cape as prolonged power outages continue to plague communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":266956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"61","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"1","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"1","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7902,1],"tags":[8439,9384,9385,9386,91],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-266954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-news","tag-eskom","tag-infrastruture","tag-power-outage","tag-service-delivery","tag-top"],"yoast_head":"\nEskom struggles to restore supply amid rising criminal activities and community protests | Paarl Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Eskom struggles to restore supply due to crime and protests, impacting multiple areas in the Western Cape with power outages.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Eskom struggles to restore supply amid rising criminal activities and community protests\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Eskom struggles to restore supply due to crime and protests, impacting multiple areas in the Western Cape with power outages.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Paarl Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paarlpost1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-21T11:11:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-21T11:16:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/7b005288569a4557899a7b28dcb2f951.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"987\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"564\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Novus Media\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@thepaarlpost\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@thepaarlpost\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Novus Media\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Novus Media\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b9b1ca0c4f33d2abd48de363a4a5e9af\"},\"headline\":\"Eskom struggles to restore supply amid rising criminal activities and community protests\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-21T11:11:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-21T11:16:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":365,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/7b005288569a4557899a7b28dcb2f951.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Eskom\",\"infrastruture\",\"power outage\",\"service delivery\",\"Top\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Community\",\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\\\/\",\"name\":\"Eskom struggles to restore supply amid rising criminal activities and community protests | Paarl Post\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/7b005288569a4557899a7b28dcb2f951.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-21T11:11:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-21T11:16:29+00:00\",\"description\":\"Eskom struggles to restore supply due to crime and protests, impacting multiple areas in the Western Cape with power outages.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/7b005288569a4557899a7b28dcb2f951.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/7b005288569a4557899a7b28dcb2f951.jpg\",\"width\":987,\"height\":564,\"caption\":\"Eskom is battling to restore power to various areas in the Cape Peninsula due to infrastructure theft and illegal connections severely hampering restoration work in townships and surrounding areas.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Eskom struggles to restore supply amid rising criminal activities and community protests\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/\",\"name\":\"Paarl Post\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Paarl Post\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/paarl-post-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/paarl-post-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Paarl Post\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/paarlpost1\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/thepaarlpost\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@PaarlPost\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/thepaarlpost\\\/\"],\"description\":\"Paarl Post has been the voice of the Drakenstein community for decades, serving as a reliable and familiar presence in the lives of our readers. Established with the goal of keeping our community informed and connected, we\u2019ve grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region. From municipal updates and school achievements to human interest features and business developments, our coverage is rooted in the real stories that shape daily life. Our mission is simple yet powerful: to bring Drakenstein the latest news, impactful stories, and insightful opinions that reflect the heartbeat of the community we proudly serve.\",\"email\":\"Paarlpost@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"021 870 4600\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b9b1ca0c4f33d2abd48de363a4a5e9af\",\"name\":\"Novus Media\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Novus Media\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/paarlpost\\\/author\\\/novusmedia\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Eskom struggles to restore supply amid rising criminal activities and community protests | Paarl Post","description":"Eskom struggles to restore supply due to crime and protests, impacting multiple areas in the Western Cape with power outages.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Eskom struggles to restore supply amid rising criminal activities and community protests","og_description":"Eskom struggles to restore supply due to crime and protests, impacting multiple areas in the Western Cape with power outages.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/","og_site_name":"Paarl Post","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paarlpost1","article_published_time":"2025-07-21T11:11:34+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-21T11:16:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":987,"height":564,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/7b005288569a4557899a7b28dcb2f951.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Novus Media","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@thepaarlpost","twitter_site":"@thepaarlpost","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Novus Media","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/"},"author":{"name":"Novus Media","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/#\/schema\/person\/b9b1ca0c4f33d2abd48de363a4a5e9af"},"headline":"Eskom struggles to restore supply amid rising criminal activities and community protests","datePublished":"2025-07-21T11:11:34+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-21T11:16:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/"},"wordCount":365,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/7b005288569a4557899a7b28dcb2f951.jpg","keywords":["Eskom","infrastruture","power outage","service delivery","Top"],"articleSection":["Community","News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/","name":"Eskom struggles to restore supply amid rising criminal activities and community protests | Paarl Post","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/7b005288569a4557899a7b28dcb2f951.jpg","datePublished":"2025-07-21T11:11:34+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-21T11:16:29+00:00","description":"Eskom struggles to restore supply due to crime and protests, impacting multiple areas in the Western Cape with power outages.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/7b005288569a4557899a7b28dcb2f951.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/7b005288569a4557899a7b28dcb2f951.jpg","width":987,"height":564,"caption":"Eskom is battling to restore power to various areas in the Cape Peninsula due to infrastructure theft and illegal connections severely hampering restoration work in townships and surrounding areas."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-struggles-to-restore-supply-amid-rising-criminal-activities-and-community-protests\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Eskom struggles to restore supply amid rising criminal activities and community protests"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/","name":"Paarl Post","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/#organization","name":"Paarl Post","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/paarl-post-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/paarl-post-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Paarl Post"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paarlpost1","https:\/\/x.com\/thepaarlpost","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@PaarlPost","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thepaarlpost\/"],"description":"Paarl Post has been the voice of the Drakenstein community for decades, serving as a reliable and familiar presence in the lives of our readers. Established with the goal of keeping our community informed and connected, we\u2019ve grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region. From municipal updates and school achievements to human interest features and business developments, our coverage is rooted in the real stories that shape daily life. Our mission is simple yet powerful: to bring Drakenstein the latest news, impactful stories, and insightful opinions that reflect the heartbeat of the community we proudly serve.","email":"Paarlpost@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"021 870 4600","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/#\/schema\/person\/b9b1ca0c4f33d2abd48de363a4a5e9af","name":"Novus Media","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Novus Media"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/author\/novusmedia\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/7b005288569a4557899a7b28dcb2f951.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":300858,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/eskom-restores-85-of-power-outages-after-devastating-floods\/","url_meta":{"origin":266954,"position":0},"title":"Eskom restores 85% of power outages after devastating floods","author":"Lise Beyers","date":"28 May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Eskom continues to make steady progress in restoring electricity supply across storm-affected areas in the Western Cape with approximately 85% of the customer base already restored.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Eskom restore 85% of power after flood outages.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eskom-e1779448282201.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eskom-e1779448282201.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eskom-e1779448282201.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":110185,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/vordering-gemaak-maar-nog-gn-tydlyn-vir-volle-herstel-se-eskom-oor-kragonderbreking-in-wellington\/","url_meta":{"origin":266954,"position":1},"title":"Vordering gemaak maar nog g’n tydlyn vir volle herstel, s\u00ea Eskom oor kragonderbreking in Wellington","author":"Rasaad Adams","date":"6 May 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Eskom het Dinsdagmiddag (6 Mei) in 'n verklaring ges\u00ea sy tegniese spanne het die oorsaak opgespoor van die wydverspreide kragonderbreking in Wellington en omliggende landelike gebiede. Volgens die kragvoorsiener kon hy daarin slaag om die kragtoevoer na 'n groot deel van die geaffekteerde areas tussen Gouda en Wellington te herstel,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Foto ter illustrasie. Foto: Argief","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5c4d9469d3f74710b7e0219b132be4d8.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5c4d9469d3f74710b7e0219b132be4d8.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5c4d9469d3f74710b7e0219b132be4d8.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5c4d9469d3f74710b7e0219b132be4d8.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":271537,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/power-supply-interrupted-to-parts-of-wellington-atoniesvlei-due-to-cable-theft\/","url_meta":{"origin":266954,"position":2},"title":"Power supply interrupted to parts of Wellington, Antoniesvlei due to cable theft","author":"Paarl Post","date":"30 October 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"WELLINGTON \u2013\u00a0Eskom on Thursday (30 October) confirmed theft and vandalism had caused a power-supply interruption affecting Wellington and Antoniesvlei in the Drakenstein municipal area. The power utility, in a statement, said technicians were on site and additional resources were being brought in due to the extent of the infrastructure damage.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Eskom said its technicians on Thursday (30 October) responded to an incident of cable table that had left parts of Wellington and Antoniesvlei without power. Photo: AFP","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AFP__20150205__Par8092043__v1__HighRes.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AFP__20150205__Par8092043__v1__HighRes.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AFP__20150205__Par8092043__v1__HighRes.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AFP__20150205__Par8092043__v1__HighRes.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AFP__20150205__Par8092043__v1__HighRes.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AFP__20150205__Par8092043__v1__HighRes.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"NovaNews","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=266954"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266954\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/266956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=266954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=266954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=266954"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=266954"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/paarlpost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=266954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}