Where's Megawatt Park? Eskom HQ 'renamed' MegaGravy Train Park

22 May 2023 - 10:24
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Eskom's head office was the scene of protests last week and also has a satirical name on Google Maps showing frustrations towards the power utility. File photo.
Eskom's head office was the scene of protests last week and also has a satirical name on Google Maps showing frustrations towards the power utility. File photo.
Image: Freddy Mavunda

One gatvol South African has vented their frustration at alleged corruption at Eskom, labelling the power utility's headquarters “MegaGravy Train Park” on Google Maps.

According to Google, users are able to suggest changes to a business's name and details through the Google Maps app. Once a request for change had been received, it is assessed and verified.

A search for Eskom's Megawatt Park on the app returns a result labelled “Eskom MegaGravy Train Park”. The location is at the centre of the headquarters' property.

On the same premises is The Gravy Shop, described as a soup kitchen.

Eskom's Megawatt Park has been renamed 'Eskom MegaGravy Train Park' on Google Maps.
Eskom's Megawatt Park has been renamed 'Eskom MegaGravy Train Park' on Google Maps.
Image: Google Maps

The location has a 1.6-star rating from 285 reviews, most slamming the utility for failing to provide electricity to the country.

Our country's economy is unstable and then you continue with load-shedding on stage 6 just to kill our economy even further,” read one popular review.

“You want to charge us more for no service at all: where is the logic in that? Stop this load-shedding so we as citizens can survive and that our country's economy can improve.”

Another labelled Eskom “another useless SOE” and complained of corruption at the utility.

The change follows a similar incident in 2019, when Eskom's Medupi power station was altered on Wikipedia to claim the English translation of the power station's name was “rain that soaks coal”, instead of “rain that soaks parched land”.

Megawatt Park was the scene of protests last week, after Buccleuch residents affected by a fault at a substation in the area staged a picket and dumped rotten food outside the headquarters.

In videos of the protest, Pam Mallela could be seen dumping rotten chicken and exclaiming: “My poor chicken. It's even stinking.”

Others could be seen holding placards reading “we want power” and “rotting food”.

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