Gauteng Residents Brace For Nine-Hour Power Outage On Friday

If you live in Soweto, you may want to plan ahead for Friday. Eskom has confirmed that ten areas will be hit by a nine-hour power outage as the utility carries out critical maintenance on its electricity network.

When And Where The Lights Will Go Off

The scheduled outage will run from 9:00 to 18:00 on Friday, 29 August, affecting residents in Central Western Jabavu (CWJ), Dlamini, Dube, Jabavu, Klipspruit, Mofolo North, Molapo, Moroka, Pimville, and Rockville.

Eskom explained that the shutdown is part of ongoing work to keep Gauteng’s distribution system safe, reliable, and efficient. Earlier this week, a similar nine-hour maintenance operation left households in Duduza, including Bluegum View and Zamane, without power for most of the day.

Why The Maintenance Matters

While frustration is inevitable, these planned cuts are different from load shedding. Maintenance projects are aimed at upgrading ageing infrastructure, which Eskom says is necessary to avoid bigger breakdowns in the future. The utility emphasised that without these interventions, residents could face even longer unplanned blackouts.

Safety First During Outages

Eskom has urged residents to treat all electrical appliances as live during the outage, warning against accidents when the supply is restored. “We thank residents for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience,” the utility said.

The Bigger Picture

Power interruptions have become a familiar part of daily life in Gauteng, with load shedding and maintenance often overlapping. For Soweto, an area historically plagued by electricity challenges, Friday’s outage adds another layer to ongoing frustrations.

Still, energy experts point out that planned maintenance, though inconvenient, is a sign that Eskom is trying to extend the lifespan of its infrastructure. Without it, the risk of transformer failures and unscheduled outages could be far worse.

Source:The South African 

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