Eskom to prioritise electricity restoration in flood-ravaged Western and Eastern Cape

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Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says Eskom will prioritise electricity to areas which were heavily affected over the weekend.

The prioritisation stems from several areas around the Western and Eastern Cape that experienced major floods and storms which claimed lives of numerous citizens and leaving thousand displaced caused by gale force winds and heavy rains.

The damage of the flooding has also resulted in electrical infrastructure being damaged. The minister was briefing the media at the weekly Energy Action Plan in Pretoria on Tuesday.

“A decision was taken by Eskom to say that those areas because of the difficulties that they are experiencing will be exempt from load shedding and the rest of the country will carry the load in relation to ensuring that the megawatts that can’t be serviced are distributed across the entire country.”

Mop-up operations continue in the Western Cape on Wednesday. Communities are battling after heavy rain and strong winds caused flooding, mudslides, rockfalls and damage to buildings.

Eleven people are confirmed to have died as a result of the severe weather.

Mop-up operations following devastating rain, wind Wind damage in Cape Town: