Eskom in the Eastern Cape has suspended operations in and around Butterworth after employees were threatened and insulted for working while the town is on a “shut down”.

Protest action has flared in the town over the past two weeks, with roads being barricaded over service delivery issues including water and electricity.

“Butterworth is engulfed by an ongoing community protest and we have taken this decision in the interests of the lives of our employees,” the power utility said in a statement.

Butterworth and Komani were brought to a standstill last week as protesters ran amok, burning tyres and blocking roads, DispatchLIVE reported earlier.

In one incident, a Komani taxi driver was pulled from his vehicle and doused in petrol after angering protesters when he tried to get past them. He was dragged to safety by protest leaders.

Eskom said it would monitor the situation.