Residents of Butsere village in Bushbuckridge blocked the R40 near the Marongwane crossing on the morning of Thursday, 6 February, in protest against Eskom over a prolonged electricity outage and what they describe as unfair financial demands.

According to community members, Eskom conducted an audit in the area and identified 63 households that had been illegally connected to the electricity network. Following the audit, Eskom reportedly required the installation of a new transformer, costing R68,000 in total. Each affected household was instructed to contribute R600 towards the installation. Residents say they managed to raise the funds, after which Eskom installed the transformer.

However, the community claims that the transformer soon developed technical faults. When the matter was reported, Eskom technicians allegedly informed residents that the transformer was too small to supply electricity to all 63 households. The “links” were subsequently removed, leaving the community without electricity for over a month.

Residents further allege that Eskom has now informed them that, in order to resolve the problem, the same households must pay an additional R48,800 on top of the original R68,000 already paid. Community members say this demand is unaffordable and unjust, particularly because Eskom had already audited the area and was aware that the transformer would serve 63 households at the time of installation.

“The transformer they installed was meant for these same households. They knew how many homes it would supply, yet now we are being told to pay more for their mistake,” said one community member.

The protest, which led to the temporary closure of the R40, disrupted traffic in the area as residents demanded a fair resolution to the crisis. Community leaders are calling on Eskom and relevant authorities to intervene urgently and restore electricity without placing further financial burdens on already struggling households.

By the time of publication, Eskom had not issued an official response to the community’s claims.