Many prepaid electricity users in Grahamstown had to resort to inadequate power back-up plans for four days because Eskom's national prepaid network failed.
Many prepaid electricity users in Grahamstown had to resort to inadequate power back-up plans for four days because Eskom's national prepaid network failed.
From last Friday until Monday this week customers looking to buy electricity lined up outside shops in the hope that Eskom would be back online, but to no avail. Wasted time, unwashed children, defrosted fridges and no means to cook meals were on the list of residents' frustrations during this temporary return to darkness.
Besides being unable to cook or wash in his house, Vukani Location resident, Simphiwe Wewe said that after he could not get more electricity on Saturday morning, “we had to switch off our refrigerator, although we had perishable food."
He wished that Eskom would inform the public in advance about potential problems so that people could prepare themselves. Most Vukani residents have to travel a long distance to buy electricity at a service station in Beaufort Street, he said. Another resident, Ntomboxolo Madlingozi said she had to wash her children with cold water before they went to school on Monday.
Sigqibo Maqanda also found it difficult to send his children to school. “We could not cook or wash ourselves, we only ate bread. It was difficult for the kids to go to school. We came here and stood in the queue for two hours and could not get electricity because of the network,” he said.
On Tuesday Grocott's Mail spoke to businesses in the location and found out that electricity vending machines were still not completely back on track. Aslam Madbur, who runs a shop in Xolani Location, said: “It came back yesterday afternoon and it was off again in the evening. This morning we have experienced the same problem, it comes and goes."
He said that he contacted Eskom and was informed that the problem was due to the company's computer network and was affecting the whole country. Owner of the Chan Henry General Dealer in Raglan Road, Ming Chan Henry, said the demand for electricity had been high since Friday, but he heard that it would be fully operational again by Tuesday.
“But it's still slow, and it's sad because people were queuing right along the street since Friday. They are complaining about their refrigerators defrosting,” he said. Eskom spokesperson Hillary Joffe told Grocott's Mail that the company was busy upgrading their computer system, which is what caused the system to crash. “We are working around the clock to rectify the situation. On Monday the system was back to normal but it was slow because of the backlog over the weekend,” Joffe said.
The company has put measures in place to ensure that this doesn't happen again, she said, and apologised to customers for the inconvenience.
