Thousand Scramble to Avoid Prepaid Electricity Disconnections as Eskom Deadline Looms
Soweto Residents in Panic Over Prepaid Meter Upgrades
Soweto residents are enduring long hours in chaotic queues to meet Eskom’s deadline for prepaid meter upgrades. With just days before Sunday’s cutoff, those who fail to upgrade their meters risk power disconnections and costly replacements.
Long Queues and Mounting Frustration
Residents, including elderly individuals and those with medical conditions, have voiced their frustration over Eskom’s handling of the process. Many blame the utility for poor planning and a lack of timely communication.
Portia Letlape, from Bramfisherville Phase 1, expressed her distress:
“We are willing to pay and comply, even though we don’t have the money. But we need information in time, which we were not given.”
Brown Ndala, who camped overnight outside Eskom’s Zola office, described the disorganized scene:
“I was here from 10 pm, but others have been here since 4 pm. People have been standing in line for over 12 hours with no controls in place.”
Minister’s Warning: No Extensions
Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has ruled out any deadline extensions. He emphasized that the 4.9 million customers who have already upgraded their meters are subsidizing the 2.1 million who have yet to comply.
“The victims are not the 2.1 million people; it’s the 4.9 million,” said Ramokgopa.
He added that customers who fail to meet the deadline will be forced to pay up to R12,000 for replacement meters.
Elderly Residents Demand Better Support
Thokozile Madela, an 86-year-old pensioner from Emdeni, criticized Eskom for not considering the needs of elderly and sick residents:
“Why didn’t they create a separate system for us? My hands ache from arthritis, and I’ve missed taking my medication because of this chaos.”
Costly Consequences for Non-Compliance
Eskom has stressed the urgency of upgrading key revision numbers (KRN) on prepaid meters to ensure uninterrupted service. Failure to upgrade will leave residents without power, forcing them to bear the financial burden of replacement meters.
As the deadline looms, Soweto residents are urging Eskom to improve service delivery and extend support to vulnerable groups. With over two million customers yet to comply, the race against time underscores systemic inefficiencies that require urgent attention.
Also read: Prepaid Electricity Meter Recoding Deadline Looms: South Africans Face Cut-Off Chaos This Sunday
