Soweto residents decry ongoing power cuts under Eskom’s load reduction programme

Eskom’s load reduction programme discriminates against the poor, say consumers who are affected by it.

Nosiviwe Nobanda, a Dobsonville, Soweto, resident, said: “Some paying customers who are on prepaid, like my family, are cut off while others are left untouched.”

Much of Soweto still suffers from twice-a-day power cuts, despite South Africa largely overcoming load shedding, which peaked in 2023 (the last bout of load shedding occurred briefly in February 2025).

Load reduction refers to an Eskom policy that entails reducing the electricity supply to specific areas to prevent overloading the grid, often due to high demand or infrastructure constraints.

During load reduction, the affected municipalities cut off electricity to areas where there is excessive usage, mainly because of illegal connections. Load reduction affects at least 8.5 million people

The government’s plan to end load reduction hinges on smart meters, legal crackdowns and long-overdue infrastructure upgrades. Eskom has promised relief by 2027 — pending stronger distribution networks and attention to high-risk zones.

The power utility called the plan “the next phase of South Africa’s energy recovery”, while Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa acknowledged load reduction’s disproportionate effect on lower-income areas.

Nobanda, however, wasn’t buying it.

“It does not make sense that prepaid customers who pay for their power are also being subjected to load reduction,” said Nobanda. “What are we being punished for, because we now use a prepaid meter and we pay for our electricity?”

Albert Mhlanga, a 77-year-old Dobsonville resident, said, “What tears me apart is that these things are not properly explained to us residents.

“As far as I am concerned, I am still battling load shedding, because load reduction, load shedding, what’s the difference? They all deliver unbearable blackouts.

“We want a flat electricity rate for old people and those who cannot afford [it]. We are tired of this load reduction because there’s nothing that you can do in the house without electricity.”

Unpredictable

In June 2025, many Soweto communities protested against the random power cuts, blockading main roads with burning tyres and rocks.

Read more: Protests flare across Soweto as residents complain of repeated electricity outages

Some Soweto residents told Daily Maverick that they preferred the predictability of load shedding over the chaos of load reduction.

Power outages in Soweto, however, are often linked to poor infrastructure, and some areas face cuts due to issues unrelated to load reduction.

Dobsonville Extension 3 resident Joyce Langa said she was fortunate not to have load reduction in her area. However, in Extension 2, residents are subjected to load reduction.

“When our power is off, we know Eskom are busy somewhere; otherwise, we never get interruptions,” said Langa.

“It’s the worst form of discrimination,” said Gladness Masuku, a 22-year-old Dobsonville resident.

“When you look across the street, people have power, but we do not have. Is that load reduction or simply energy censorship, discrimination? Only fools will keep such a government in power,” said Masuku.

In May, Eskom spokesperson Amanda Qithi said, “Eskom will continue to implement load reduction in areas where transformers are at risk due to overloading to prevent failure of equipment and innocent lives that could be impacted should equipment fail or explode due to overloading.”

Eskom did not reply to a recent request for comment.

Perceived discrimination

Communities that experience load reduction share one key concern — that it discriminates based on income. These communities argue that affluent areas do not experience load reduction, which relates to Eskom targeting areas with illegal connections and a lack of paying customers.

In September, Ramokgopa acknowledged that whether it’s called load reduction or load shedding, the electricity supply is cut off.

“What is more worrying about load reduction, it’s got an appearance of discrimination on an income basis. So, essentially, you will see when I map the prevalence of load reduction in the country, the density or concentration of load reduction is in poor areas,” said Ramokgopa.

“And, it gives the impression that we are penalising the poor, those who cannot afford; and of course those who are affluent, rich and who have a voice are left scot-free.”

Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee interim chair Mduduzi Makhubo said, “The energy racism which mainly affects the working class is not fair in the dawn of democracy. The same government which is supposed to protect the poor is oppressing them.

“The issue of load reduction, which disproportionately affects the working class, is a major concern and unfair on the poor.”

Illegal connections

Eskom has maintained that it implements load reduction during the morning and evening peak hours to avoid damage to equipment, as illegal connections and electricity theft overload transformers.

The power utility says a reprieve from load reduction for affected communities, including Soweto, will only be realised when community members stop stealing electricity.

“Communities that experience load reduction can be removed from the list by refraining from conducting illegal electricity-related acts and ensuring that energy losses from their respective feeders are not at risk as a result of overloading, as we have done with such areas,” Eskom’s Qithi said in May.

“Therefore, customers can be removed from load reduction if they pay for electricity, buy electricity from registered vendors and refrain from bypassing and tampering with their meters.” DM