Power cuts infuriates residents and businesses
ALEXANDRA - Most of Alexandra was without electricity on Wednesday infuriating both businesses and residents.
The string of power cuts in Alexandra have infuriated business owners and residents.
Bottle store, butchery, tavern operators and retailers said they were impacted by the power cuts which came without warning.
Solly Mbedzi, a bottle store operator in Eastbank, said weekends were the most profitable days and power cuts resulted in a huge loss for him. He said the electricity going on and off reduced the life span of his beverages. He added that he shouldn’t be forced to buy a generator because of Eskom’s problems.
Mbedzi who uses the paid system for electricity said Eskom should also warn clients in advance of power cuts. This will enable them to switch off their appliances to guard against power surges.
Ndivhonisani Malovhele, an Eastbank butchery operator said the unannounced power cuts affected them the most as they traded in products with a short shelf life, and there was no way to recover costs when their meat and related products were spoiled. He suggested Eskom consider sending advance alerts through either SMS messages or other methods so businesses could plan their orders and operations accordingly.
Despite Eskom’s assurances that the power cuts were temporary and caused by a faulty power source being repaired, residents said they feared it could become a trend and they needed to be prepared.
