WATCH | ‘The 80% non-paying customers led to transformers overloading’: Eskom on load reduction

Eskom has blamed the need for load reduction on the high number of non-paying customers who put immense strain on the power grid.

“Most transformers that are overloading have 80% of customers not paying. In other instances, you have 100% of customers on the transformers that are not paying or are illegally connected,” said the power utility's spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said.

“Unfortunately for the small number of customers who are paying, as much as we want to provide electricity to them, we cannot continue providing power to customers who are not paying,” Mokwena said in a Newzroom Afrika interview.

She said load reduction was a necessary measure to prevent transformers exploding.

“The main issue is to protect assets [transformers]. If we don't protect transformers feeding those who pay, they will fail or explode. That means paying customers will be affected for longer compared to the one or two hours implemented with load reduction.”

Eskom announced the implementation of load reduction on Tuesday.

According to the power utility, 2,111 transformers were overloaded across the country while it had to replace 900 damaged transformers.

In his weekly newsletter, President Cyril Ramaphosa warned the electricity system remained vulnerable.

“Even though South Africa recently reached the longest period without load-shedding since 2020, there is no reason to relax.

“Our electricity system remains vulnerable, and we cannot yet rule out the possibility of further load-shedding,” he said.

Ramaphosa has previously called on residents to pay for electricity, saying Eskom has huge debt and residents must pay to put it in a good financial position.

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