Soweto residents have demanded urgent intervention from Eskom over rising electricity costs and ongoing power cuts
By Mapaballo Borotho
Soweto residents, like many ordinary South Africans, are grappling with soaring electricity prices amid a cold and difficult winter.
As a result, they handed over a memorandum of demands to Eskom on Monday, 04 May 2026, calling for urgent relief from rising electricity costs and ongoing power outages.
Eskom has been given 14 days to respond, as tensions mount following an approved 8.76% tariff hike by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa.
Thabo Ngayo of the Soweto Electricity Crisis Forum says Eskom did not follow proper protocol by failing to engage with paying consumers before implementing the increase.
“The Constitution clearly states that government or its entities must consult with communities before making such major decisions, which did not happen. There are allegations that Eskom consulted with some communities, but that does not form a quorum,” he said.
Ngayo added that Eskom only engaged with councillors.
“The same councillors who do not even care about the needs of the people,” he said.
He also called on the power utility to stop implementing power cuts without prior notice.
“We urge Eskom to reduce or review the implementation of unnecessary loadshedding. In certain areas in Soweto, this reduction causes a lot of disruptions,” he added.
For the full conversation, listen to the podcast…
READ NEXT: A month without electricity: this is what Alex residents are subjected to
The post Soweto residents slam Eskom as power cuts and price hikes bite appeared first on KAYA 959.
