By Staff Reporter
SEKGOPO – Eskom has appealed to residents of Ga-Sekgopo to give them space to work on Monday and allow access to the R81 road, which has been blocked by community protests.
The power utility says the demonstrations have made it difficult for their employees to reach the affected area and repair vandalised infrastructure.
According to Eskom, some of the materials needed for the restoration are currently in Phalaborwa, and transporting them has become impossible due to the road closures.
“We understand the community’s frustration, but these protests are delaying the repair process,” Eskom said.
In a statement, Eskom confirmed that the power outage in Sekgopo Village was caused by an act of vandalism that targeted critical electricity infrastructure along the Soekmekaar municipal line.
“In the early hours of Friday, 7 November 2025, approximately 20 electricity poles were stolen or vandalised, resulting in a significant disruption of power supply to Sekgopo Village,” the utility said.
Technicians are currently on-site assessing the extent of the damage and working to restore power as safely and quickly as possible.
However, Eskom noted that there is no estimated time for restoration at this stage.
“The safety and well-being of our community and customers is important, and we urge everyone to treat all electrical connections as live during this period,” Eskom added.
Customers in the affected areas have been advised not to log additional faults while repairs are underway. Eskom also apologised for the inconvenience and strongly condemned the vandalism, urging residents to report any illegal activities involving electricity infrastructure.
Meanwhile, community members took to the streets on Sunday afternoon, 9 November, demanding the immediate restoration of electricity after more than three days without power.
