Load reduction is a form of energy racism, SAHRC hears

Koena Mashale Journalist
Dr Trevor Ngwane and commissioner at the South African Human Rights Commission Tshepo Madlingozi during the Commission's investigative enquiry into the impact of load reduction on human rights.
Dr Trevor Ngwane and commissioner at the South African Human Rights Commission Tshepo Madlingozi during the Commission's investigative enquiry into the impact of load reduction on human rights.
Image: Thulani Mbele

On the second day of the national inquiry into load reduction, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) heard submissions on how planned electricity outages disproportionately target poor, black communities. 

Trevor Ngwane, from the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee, described load reduction as “energy racism,” arguing that it primarily affects townships and villages, amounting to “geographical profiling”. 

“We have this geographical profiling of low-income black areas. This research, conducted in 2022 and funded by the Foundation for Human Rights, found that load reduction shows strong continuities with old apartheid policies. We concluded that load reduction is a form of energy racism,” said Ngwane. 

Speaking at the inquiry in Sandhurst, Sandton, Ngwane explained that black working-class communities bear the brunt of crises caused by inclement weather, poorly maintained infrastructure, mismanagement and corruption. 

“There was a shift – managing the grid and shouldering the burden of the crisis was redirected to black working-class areas. In our research, we analysed the notice issued by Eskom about load reduction,” he said. 

“Places like KwaMakhutha, Langa, Gugulethu and Mamelodi which are black areas – were affected, while you never find Sandton, Constantia or Umhlanga on those lists. In rural areas like Nkandla and Mthatha, the same pattern emerged, showing that black working-class areas were targeted.” 

Ngwane highlighted that many townships are forced into paying informal fees just to have transformers repaired, leading to further financial strain. 

“At one point, maybe a quarter to half of households in some areas had no record of their electricity consumption. Illegal connections, unpaid electricity debt – it was all ignored. But when transformers broke down, Eskom refused to fix them unless 60% of households paid R500 each,” he said. 

“The responsibility of collecting or enforcing payments was shifted to the community itself, creating conflicts. But when you’ve been without electricity for 14 months, you will soon resolve your conflicts and find a way to pay.” 

He argued that load reduction is not a solution to the energy crisis, but a distraction from the failure to provide clean, reliable electricity for all. 

“Load reduction diverts attention from the real problem – the failure to provide safe, affordable and sustainable energy for all. The government’s goal should be to roll back past injustices and eradicate inequality,” Ngwane said. 

Ngwane further criticised Eskom’s infrastructure rollouts, which he said were inadequate from the start. 

“If you don’t upgrade infrastructure in townships where population growth is high, you are bound to have problems. Transformers and substations are not maintained. Then Eskom uses its failures as justification for load reduction,” he said.

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