Khayelitsha's Ward 99 residents demand action from Eskom amid power crisis

Persistent rain and biting cold did little to deter residents of Ward 99 from marching to Eskom’s offices in Khayelitsha on Thursday, July 3, demanding urgent action on electricity issues plaguing their community.

Scores of protesters gathered at Harare Square, braving the downpour under umbrellas and plastic bags, as they called on Eskom to electrify the Endlovini informal settlement and address ongoing power outages across the ward.

Residents said they have endured years of unreliable electricity, poor infrastructure, and slow response times from Eskom. Their grievances include the lack of electrification in newer informal settlements and long delays in repairing damaged infrastructure.

Ward councillor Lonwabo Mqina, who joined the protest, said illegal connections were escalating tensions within the community, as power drawn from nearby areas with electricity often causes outages and puts strain on transformers.

“These illegal connections are not only dangerous, but they also create conflict among residents and overload the system,” Mr Mqina said.

“We are calling on Eskom to connect these communities formally to stop this from continuing.”

He added that despite repeated assurances from Eskom, many households have waited over a year for basic repairs.

“We demand a reliable and continuous power supply,” Mr Mqina said.

“Eskom and the department of Energy must develop a concrete plan to upgrade aging infrastructure, expand the grid to underserved areas, and build a new substation-we have even allocated land for it in the upcoming financial year.”

He also urged Eskom to prepare contingency plans for power failures during natural disasters, which have affected the area in recent years.

“Electricity is a basic right,” he said.

“If our demands are not met, the community may be forced to escalate its actions, though we remain committed to working towards a collaborative solution.”

Among the marchers was resident Nasiphi Yoliswa, who said she has been without electricity for a month, despite repeatedly reporting the issue.

“There’s a transformer in my yard that keeps catching fire,” she said, adding that Eskom had told her they can’t fix it because the cap is too expensive.

"I fear for my family’s safety-one day the flames could burn down our shack while we’re inside.”

Ms Yoliswa said she joined the protest in the rain to add her voice to the growing frustration over Eskom’s inaction.

The protest ended peacefully, with Eskom senior supervisor Busiswa Jali accepting the community’s memorandum of demands and promising to forward it to senior management