In the memorandum, residents raised concerns over provision of water and sanitation, electricity costs, residential sites, youth development, and SMME developments. This is according to the municipal spokesperson, Dika Kheswa.

“The memorandum was based on the no constant water supply in the taps for the past two to three weeks due to load-shedding. Remember, we’re coming from an instance where we were using water trucks to supply water when there’s water shortages and those systems seem not to be affordable,” said Kheswa.

ALSO READ: Water trucks dispatched in Free State amidst #WaterCrisis

Kheswa added that on Friday, the municipality made an application to Eskom to be exempted from the normal load-shedding and be granted permission to implement their own load-shedding. This allows the municipality to isolate the water treatment plants and reservoirs.

ALSO READ: Rolling blackouts result in dry taps at Kroonstad

Community members from Parys also took to the streets and to the Ngwathe Municipality, protesting for service delivery.

Police spokesperson Sgt. Sergeant Josephine Rani says all schools were closed and pupils were sent home.

Meanwhile, the recent electricity price hike announced by Nersa, coupled with the rolling blackouts spurred a call for a national shutdown. A Twitter post has been trending, calling for a national shutdown on 9 February 2023.

Please circulate this as much as you can, the date has been set, #NationalShutdown pic.twitter.com/8SDkpl8ANh

— Bhungane (@Iam_Ntsindiso) January 13, 2023

Also, the Azanian People’s Organisation (AZAPO) started their #AsinamaliProtestAction on Monday 16 January 2023. Azapo says the pickets will be held daily from 1pm - 2pm and 4pm - 6pm, until Nersa sets aside the 18.5% tarrif increase on electricity.

“Gontse, Kwanele Ngoku! #Asinamali! ESKOM (aka EISHKOM) corruption accelerates poverty! Citizens reject with the contempt it deserves the Nersa-approved ghastly electricity tariff hike requested by Eskom. Load-shedding continues to cause mayhem and has resulted in “livelihood shedding”, said the party.

Earlier, the Democratic Alliance (DA) announced they were organising a protest march to the ANC headquarters in Johannesburg on 25 January, against the electricity crisis. The party calls citizens to the streets to voice their anger against the ANC and demand solutions to the escalating crisis.

“Households are battling to put food on the table. Businesses are struggling to pay their staff. Stage 6 load-shedding is costing South Africa between four and six billion rand per day. It is time to show the ANC that we do not accept that it always chooses the option most painful to ordinary South Africans and least painful to themselves.”

OFM News/Bambatha Giko