South Africa’s national power utility Eskom has advised that it is experiencing a high number of faults in greater Cape Town and parts of the Western Cape after the recent storms caused severe damage to network infrastructure.

Due to the extreme storm damage to the network, customers in some areas are experiencing prolonged periods without electricity.

In a media statement, Eskom assures that operators are working around the clock to repair equipment and restore supply to customers.

Eskom stressed that a serious problem in the greater Cape Town area is illegal connections. These connections are putting further strain on the network by causing overloading and damaged equipment, resulting in loss of supply.

In order to deal with the backlog of faults, Eskom said it will be prioritising its response by the size and duration of the faults. Faults that have left customers without electricity supply for more than 48 hours will take priority, thereafter, faults for more than 24 hours until the most recent faults can be dealt with.

Faults on the MV and HV network impact a large number of customers and these are also being prioritised.

Source: ESI Africa