25 000 in the dark as Tshwane unrest thwarts Eskom fix-it team

Eskom had to send a security team with its team to fix a transformer in the heart of the Tshwane civil unrest that had plunged 25 000 customers in darkness on Tuesday.

The transformer at the Mapopane East electricity substation tripped at 17:52 on Tuesday, impacting substations in Vuka, Winterveld, Nonyane and Makgatho, Eskom said, adding that 25 000 customers were affected.

“This is the same substation where our staff members were chased away by the community earlier because of the protest action that happened today (Tuesday) in Tshwane,” Eskom said.

“In the interest of mitigating this challenge, security has since been dispatched to escort our field team to investigate.” Police officers and lawmen from across Gauteng are bracing for another day of civil unrest in Tshwane on Wednesday after reports of widespread violence overnight.


This follows days of protests in Atteridgeville, Soshanguve, Mamelodi, Hammanskraal and Mabopane after the announcement of Thoko Didiza as the ANC’s mayoral candidate for the sprawling metro.

On Tuesday buses were torched and police were stretched thin to quell mass looting of malls and shops owned by foreign nationals in the townships.