The New Energy Divide

While urban areas celebrate reduced load shedding, millions in townships face daily 'load reduction'—planned outages by municipalities unable to meet demand. Minister Ramokgopa admitted this 'visits energy poverty upon the poor.'

Root Causes

• Grid decay: Municipal reticulation systems haven't kept pace with informal settlement growth
• Skills hemorrhage: 68% of municipalities lack electrical engineers (SAICE 2024)
• Affordability crisis: Electricity tariffs rose 600% in a decade

Human Impact

In Soweto's Dlamini section, residents endure 8-hour daily cuts: 'We pay for prepaid but get less power than suburbs with free-flowing supply,' said local activist Thandi Mokoena.

Government's Response

<p>A '200-settlement plan' promises infrastructure upgrades, but Ramokgopa stressed that resolving R98bn municipal debt requires tariff reforms and provincial intervention.