Storm havoc in KZN: Eskom responds to multiple power outages
According to Eskom's industry support and stakeholder management, Joyce Zingoni, restoration efforts are under way as the power utility's technical teams worked through the night to restore supply to most customers.
ALSO READ: Suspects nabbed with R1.5m worth of stolen Eskom property
Fault-finding and repairs are still in progress.
Affected areas include Mtubatuba, Hluhluwe, Jozini, Manguzi and Pongola.
'Eskom appeals for patience from our customers, as some areas are inaccessible due to infrastructure damage. We assure you that every effort is being made to restore power safely and efficiently,' said Zingoni.
Zingoni further urged the public to treat all electrical installations as live and to stay away from fallen cables, damaged infrastructure, or any hazardous areas, and to report those to local authorities immediately, or directly to Eskom through the following channels:
• MyEskom customer app: available for download on Google Play and Apple Store
• Alfred the Chatbot: https://alfred.eskom.co.za/chatroom/
• USSD platform: Dial *120*37566# on your phone and follow the prompts
• Eskom Contact Centre: Dial 08600 ESKOM (37566)
• Alfred on WhatsApp. Save the Eskom Share Call number 08600 37566 to your phone, open WhatsApp and start chatting with Alfred
Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here:
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp – 060 784 2695
Instagram – zululand_observer
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
a day ago
- The South African
8-hour power outage to hit these Johannesburg areas
City Power Johannesburg has implemented a power outage that will affect eight areas on Wednesday, 20 August 2025. The power outage was implemented to maintain their electricity network. The outage will occur at Crown Substation from 8:00 to 16:00. These are the areas that will be affected by the power outage: All Gold Booysens Reserve Safa House Soccer City 1, 2, 3 and 4 Framton East Ormonde Theta Ext. 7 Crownwood According to Energized, switch off all Televisions, computer equipment, game consoles, fans, lights and all other smaller appliances to keep them safe. Keeping the appliances turned on might destroy them when the power returns. Surge protectors help prevent damage to electronics such as computers and televisions by blocking excess power when power is restored. The good news about these devices is that they have a limited lifespan and can be replaced every 3-5 years. UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLIES Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) help provide backup power during an outage. This helps with minimising the risk of data loss and safely shuts down devices, according to Tech. According to Jasonwrightelectric, Generators can be toxic if not used properly. It is advisable to use a generator outdoors. They must be at least 20 feet away from your home, doors, and windows. Use extensions that are heavy-duty, outdoor-rated, and in good condition. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
2 days ago
- The South African
Hot weather is expected in Gauteng under a high-pressure system
Residents of Gauteng will face a stretch of hot and dry weather as a dominant high-pressure system settles over the province from Wednesday, 20 August, until at least Tuesday, 26 August. Weather experts say the system will intensify heat across the north-eastern provinces. 'Fine and warm to hot conditions will dominate Gauteng and surrounding regions as this high-pressure system persists,' said forecaster Mpho Rasimphi. 'We are not expecting significant rainfall during this period.' Nights remain cold despite daytime hot weather Although the days will feel increasingly hot, forecasters warn that evenings will remain cold, with some areas experiencing near-freezing overnight temperatures. Johannesburg and Pretoria are expected to dip below 10°C at night, despite daytime highs climbing well above 25°C. 'The clear skies caused by the high-pressure system result in warm afternoons but allow heat to escape quickly at night, leading to chilly conditions,' Rasimphi explained. Residents should stay hydrated, avoid prolonged sun exposure, and monitor vulnerable groups, such as children and the elderly. Residents are advised to plan accordingly, as Gauteng province faces a week of hot and cloudless skies. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Daily Maverick
KZN's South Coast residents plagued by municipal crises lose hope after monthlong water cut-offs
The Ugu District Municipality on Monday said the restoration of the water supply to the Lower South Coast was imminent — but residents weren't holding their breath. 41 – that's the number of days that residents of the KwaZulu-Natal Lower South Coast have had some semblance of running water from their taps this year. This is according to Banners Rest resident and former municipal councillor Dave Watson, who has been keeping a spreadsheet calendar on water cut-offs and interruptions since 2022. Watson said the last time his area had an uninterrupted water supply for longer than 24 hours was last year. During the current outage Watson has been without water for 32 days. 'This is a new record for us in Banners Rest, after more than three years of no water supply or inadequate water supplies,' Watson said. In response to queries from the Daily Maverick on Monday, 18 August, the Ugu District Municipality said: 'It is anticipated that water supply will be restored to Leisure Bay, Glenmore, Port Edward and Banners Rest by this evening or early tomorrow.' But residents were not holding their breath. A 12-hour electricity shutdown at the Umtamvuna Water Treatment Works led to water cut-offs that have dragged on for weeks, to the frustration of nearly 190,000 residents stretched between Port Edward in the south, Southbroom in the north and inland areas that include Izingolweni, KwaXolo and KwaNzimakwe. 'Tomorrow never seems to come. We were told yesterday that water was coming back 'tomorrow', and the same story the day before … yet, here we are with no water after nearly 30 days — so let's wait and see tomorrow,' commented Democratic Alliance ward councillor Stephanie Breedt. Breedt noted that Eskom had been scheduled to shut down the power supply at the Umtamvuna purification plant for half a day earlier this month to enable the installation of a temporary power supply that would have allowed an extra water extraction pump to be installed. She noted that the Ugu District Municipality had been plagued by water shortages for several years, partly because there was insufficient electricity to power additional water abstraction pumps on the Umtamvuna River. In 2019, the council paid Eskom R14-million to install additional power that would allow four pumps to suck water from the river for purification. Breedt said a further R2.5-million was paid to Eskom this year to provide a temporary supply to a third pump. Eskom did conduct emergency work at the Umtamvuna treatment works this month, yet for reasons not fully explained, 36 local water reservoirs dried up soon afterwards and Ugu was forced to revert to using its existing two pumps rather than the hoped-for three pumps. Veteran journalist Fred Kockott, a resident of Port Edward and founding director of Roving Reporters, was heading off to the local Methodist church on his motorbike to replenish his water supplies when contacted for comment on 18 August. For the last 30 days, Kockott has been travelling to the church regularly to ferry water home in a backpack and a wooden crate strapped to his motorbike. Permanent solution While the current crisis might be resolved by 'Band-Aid' measures, he said a permanent solution was needed. 'Granted, there are serious challenges faced in extending basic water supply to previously unserviced outlying areas, but to allow existing infrastructure to collapse to this extent is clearly a human rights offence, deserving intervention and prosecution.' Two separate sources have suggested that the underlying cause of the latest problems is opposition from a community group in the neighbouring Eastern Cape province that blocked plans to run a new Eskom power supply line from that province into KwaZulu-Natal to relieve the power shortages at the Umtamvuna purification works. They suggested that certain community members had insisted that they were facing water and electricity supply shortages that should be resolved before any additional power was supplied to KZN. The Ugu District Municipality said that Eskom had conducted a scheduled shutdown at Umtamvuna this month to connect additional power supplies, but 'unforeseen technical complications arose during the process, and work is currently ongoing to resolve these issues'. The municipality acknowledged that this led to 'significant inconvenience for both the coastal and inland communities' and that municipal staff were collaborating with Eskom's Eastern Cape technical division to provide further power to the Umtamvuna water works. On Monday, an Eskom spokesperson said the utility required more time to respond to Daily Maverick's queries. We also asked Ugu officials to explain the full nature of the 'unforeseen technical complications'. A municipal spokesperson responded: 'Following the restoration of power, it was subsequently identified that a voltage imbalance had occurred, thereby compromising the safety and stability of the electricity supply. 'This unforeseen technical issue necessitated an extension of the outage period. We regret that this extension resulted in the depletion of the Umtamvuna water system. 'Eskom has scheduled a planned outage for 29 August in order to rectify the situation and install the meter required for the Eastern Cape supply. In the interim, Ugu has reverted to the original KwaZulu-Natal grid to ensure continuity of water supply.' What this seems to mean is that even if the water supply is restored this week, Lower South Coast residents can anticipate another major water shutdown at the end of the month before the situation improves. DM
