Power Pause: Gauteng Braces for Load Reduction This Week

Residents Warned to Prepare for Power Cuts as Eskom Acts to Protect Strained Infrastructure

If your lights flicker and go dark this week, you’re not alone. Eskom has confirmed that parts of Gauteng will face scheduled load reduction from Tuesday, 5 August to Sunday, 10 August 2025, in an effort to safeguard aging infrastructure buckling under the pressure of illegal connections and electricity theft.

This isn’t your typical load shedding. Load reduction, a term that’s become more common in South Africa’s energy lexicon, refers to targeted power cuts in high-risk areas to prevent permanent damage to transformers and mini-substations. It’s Eskom’s emergency brake when things on the ground get too hot, literally.

When and Where Will the Power Be Cut?

The load reduction will take place during peak demand hours:
5am to 9am in the morning, and again from 5pm to 10pm in the evening.

So, if you’re waking up early for work or cooking dinner, keep candles and power banks close, this week might get tricky.

Morning Load Reduction Areas (5am – 9am):

• Rabie Ridge

• Protea Glen (and extensions)

• Ivory Park

• Kaalfontein

• Duduza

• Katlehong Heights

• Sebokeng extensions

Evening Load Reduction Areas (5pm – 10pm):

• Vereeniging

• Sharpville

• Sebokeng

• Westside Park

• Daveyton

Other areas scheduled for outages throughout the week include:

• Vosloorus

• Orange Farm

• Spruitview

• Winterveldt

• Mabopane

• Vryburg

• Odinburg Gardens

• Elandsfontein

👉 Download the full load reduction schedule for your suburb here (PDF)

Why Is This Happening?

According to Eskom, many of these areas have become hotspots for illegal connections and power theft, leading to dangerous overloads on local infrastructure. The utility insists that load reduction is a necessary evil, a pre-emptive measure to avoid transformer explosions or fires that could plunge entire communities into extended blackouts.

“The continued pressure on our transformers/mini-substations due to illegal connections and electricity theft in some areas necessitates load reduction to avoid equipment damage,” Eskom said in a statement.

Public Reaction: More Than Just an Inconvenience

On social media, frustration is brewing. Community WhatsApp groups have been flooded with complaints about lack of warning, disruption to businesses, and even safety concerns during dark evening hours.

X (formerly Twitter) user @GautengMama wrote:

“Load reduction AGAIN? We pay for electricity yet suffer for the actions of others. When will this end?”

Others point to Eskom’s long-term failures. Energy activist Thabo N. tweeted:

“Let’s not forget, illegal connections thrive where service delivery has failed. This is a systemic issue.”

More Than Just a Power Cut

This week’s load reduction isn’t just another Eskom story. It’s a reflection of deeper challenges facing urban communities across Gauteng. Informal settlements continue to grow without access to legal electricity. Eskom’s infrastructure is old, underfunded, and increasingly vulnerable. And in the middle of it all are residents some paying customers, others not all feeling the impact.

What You Can Do This Week

If your area is listed, here are some quick survival tips:

• Charge devices during the day.

• Prepare meals ahead of evening outages.

• Keep torches, candles, or solar lamps handy.

• Be vigilant about safety, especially during nighttime cuts.

For the full load reduction breakdown, check Eskom’s official website or download the August schedule.

While load reduction may be necessary, the truth is that it’s a symptom of a much bigger issue. Until infrastructure investment, community electrification, and enforcement catch up with reality, power cuts like these will remain part of daily life for many Gauteng residents.

Let’s hope the lights come back on, not just in our homes, but in the decision-making rooms that can turn this situation around.

{Source: The Citizen}

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