In a significant demonstration of public dissatisfaction, hundreds of supporters from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) converged on a vacant parcel of land situated along Allen Street, opposite the BMW dealership, on Friday morning, 18 August 2023. Their objective: a march towards the offices of Eskom over service delivery.
With an electric atmosphere coursing through the assembled throng, Councillor Thengi Zulu, a prominent IFP member and the Speaker of the Newcastle Municipality, articulated the motivations behind the march.
The driving force behind this mobilisation, Cllr Zulu explained, was the recurring failure of Eskom to deliver adequate services.
Cllr Zulu highlighted, ” What is happening, is that there are transformers that are breaking down in Madadeni, Osizweni and Blaauwbosch and it is taking Eskom months to repair the damaged transformers.”
The resultant delays, he emphasised, were severely impinging on the daily lives and commercial activities of the local populace.
Adding to the chorus of grievances, elderly march participants raised their concerns over the recent surge in electricity tariffs imposed on Newcastle East. A participant passionately conveyed that demanding exorbitant fees from pensioners was unjustifiable.
As the marchers harmonised in song, Cllr Zulu disclosed that an official memorandum was being delivered to Eskom, imposing a timeframe of seven to 14 days for a response from the utility company.
Notably, a strong contingent of law enforcement personnel was on hand to oversee the march. Cllr Zulu underscored that the protest was intended as a constructive measure to prevent the escalation of community frustrations. “Our aim is to avoid road closures or disruptive protests,” he stressed.
Assessing the Eskom situation in Newcastle West, Cllr Zulu expressed a firm viewpoint that complete eradication of load shedding was imperative.
With Stage 1 load shedding in effect throughout much of the day, he said, “Load shedding is impacting Newcastle in such a way that there are factories and businesses talking about closing down, moving elsewhere. These businesses employ people, they contribute to the economy, and we can’t lose them.”
Furthermore, he advocated for Eskom to reevaluate its stance on load shedding, especially since the Newcastle Municipality had met its obligations to the power utility by consistently meeting monthly payments.
Cllr Zulu believed that measures should be explored to suspend load shedding, thereby safeguarding the vitality of the local business sector.
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