Eskom delays cost hele maand se kos
KWAAD: Sharon Matolla of Uitsig was without krag for two weeks and had to empty fridge. Picture: Velani Ludidi
An Uitsig mother has slammed Eskom after she had to throw away food that was meant to last her a month due to not having electricity for the past two weeks.
Sharon Matolla, 46, says on 9 April her electricity supply tripped while cooking after which she reported the matter to Eskom.
“I called Eskom and they said they will come the following day,” she explains.
She says she followed up the next day and was told that the workers cannot come into the area without a police escort.
“They eventually came on Tuesday, but they did not bring the power back,” the frustrated mom says.
She says the Eskom employees told her that her electrical box was faulty and that they cannot fix it.
“I called a private electrician and they checked everything. They said Eskom should be fixing my electricity.
“I had to throw away food that was meant to last me a month.
“My husband and I buy food in bulk. My fridge is empty.”
She says on Monday she saw Eskom workers working in the area without police presence.
Eskom’s Kyle Cookson says Sharon’s power was restored yesterday.
He says the original fault on 14 April, which was a faulty cable, was fixed.
On Monday it was found that her electrical distribution board (DB box) was defective.
Cookson says “it is the responsibility of the customer to assign an electrician on their own account to do repairs to the DB box”.
He blamed the delay on Covid-19 related backlogs and crime. He said Eskom “prioritises the safety of staff” and operators attend to faults in Uitsig on Tuesdays and Thursdays.