Tebogo Monama

Tebogo Monama

The Ekurhuleni municipality has begun collecting claims on behalf of businesses and residents for damages caused by last week's power outages in and around Bedfordview.

After the process is complete, the claims will then be handed over to Eskom.

Ekurhuleni's general manager for electricity, Mark Wilson, said if Eskom failed to honour the claims, the municipality would submit them to the National Energy Regulator for a decision.

Wilson encouraged Bedfordview residents and businesses that suffered financial losses because of the three-day power cuts to submit claims for direct and consequential damages.

Eskom spokesman Fani Zulu said: "We will receive their claims and evaluate them individually on merit and then we will decide."

Municipality spokesman Zweli Dlamini said: "We are helping the public in the process of claiming through our office."

The three-day power cuts in Ekurhuleni were blamed on the installation of closed-circuit cameras on the R24 highway.

However, the Gauteng government has denied being responsible for the outages.