The electricity supply from the Potchefstroom Municipality (Alpha) Substation will be interrupted on Friday (14/3) from 11:30 to 13:00, affecting Ikageng and its extensions, said municipal spokesperson Jeanette Tshite.

Eskom is commissioning a new breaker at the substation. Residents in affected areas should treat all installations as live at all times.

Meanwhile, residents of Kanana, Orkney, have been without water for two days. The water supply cuts have been mainly due to a power supply outage from Eskom since Thursday (13/3), said municipal spokesperson Ntswaki Makgetha. The technical team is on site for maintenance, and the water supply will resume once the power has been restored. Affected areas include Kanana, Extensions 5, 6, 13 and 14.

On Monday (10/3), Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa visited the province to assess the root causes of power supply challenges linked to poorly maintained infrastructure in municipalities. Ramokgopa highlighted the severity of the crisis, noting that local authorities owe Eskom more than R7 billion.

“That’s a significant amount, considering the size of these municipalities,” he said. The core issue is municipalities’ inability to collect revenue efficiently, leaving them unable to pay Eskom and provide reliable electricity. “This results in non-payment to Eskom and, ultimately, an unreliable electricity supply.”

Premier Lazarus Mokgosi urged municipalities to reinvest revenue into infrastructure upgrades and maintenance.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi cg