The civil rights organisation AfriForum has sent a letter of demand to Eskom and the Tokologo Local Municipality on Friday 4 June 2021 regarding the implementation of load shedding as the municipality is exceeding its maximum electricity demand. Aside from the implementation of national loadshedding, Boshof, Dealesville and Hertzogville have had to endure extra loadshedding since Monday, 31 May.
The organisation has given Eskom and the municipality until 11 June 2021 to react to the correspondence after which further steps will be taken – including possibly involving the courts if feedback is not satisfactory.
“Residents in the Tokologo Municipality have to go without electricity more than five times a day as a result of the newly implemented loadshedding. The power outages have an enormous negative impact on residents as well as businesses in these towns, and makes economic growth impossible,” says Jaco Grobbelaar, AfriForum’s Head for Community Structures in the central region.
Grobbelaar added that residents should not have to be penalised for the municipality’s incompetence. “When this happens, residents are punished for the municipality’s poor planning and incompetency. Taxpayers should not bear the brunt for the municipality’s inability to plan, and the municipality cannot simply make this the community’s problem. For this reason, AfriForum will take a stand in the matter,” said Grobbelaar.
Join AfriForum today and help us to keep your electricity on. SMS the word “electricity” to 45344.