The Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee (SECC) has criticized Eskom and the government for causing unnecessary panic over the recoding of prepaid electricity meters. The controversy surrounding the meter update has led to long queues outside Eskom service centres in Soweto, as residents rushed to meet the original deadline, which expired yesterday.
Eskom, however, has extended the deadline for "zero buyers"—prepaid customers who have not purchased electricity due to meter bypassing, illegal connections, or buying from unapproved vendors—until Friday, November 29. The power utility has instructed these customers to visit accredited vendors to purchase electricity tokens and bring the receipts when they visit Eskom offices for the update.
SECC member Dr. Trevor Ngwane called the situation “avoidable chaos” and argued that the issue is technical in nature, one that could have been handled more efficiently. He accused Eskom and government authorities of mishandling the situation by combining efforts to address both technical issues and financial concerns related to non-payment. This, he claims, led to a top-down approach, similar to apartheid-era tactics, where communities were threatened instead of being given clear guidance and support.
"The authorities' mixed goals created an unnecessary crisis. The attempt to address financial problems of non-payment, alongside technical issues, led to this confusion and panic," Ngwane stated.
As the deadline extension draws near, Soweto residents, particularly in Diepkloof, are once again enduring long waits in the aftermath of the scramble to avoid being disconnected. The situation has further fueled frustration as residents try to comply with the new requirements to maintain their electricity supply.