After the recent announcement that load shedding was back on the table, South Africans have found themselves stocking up on candles and dusting off their gas stoves.
However, load shedding has brought added frustration this time round as Metrorail has announced that it is struggling to get its Cape Town substations back in service, as per IOL.
Capetonians attempting to make their way to work this morning have had to make alternative arrangements.
According to Metrorail spokesperson, Nana Zenani, the Eskom Tafelbaai substation which feeds its substations are failing to come back into service. As a result, all Cape Town lines have been affected.
“The net effect is a wide-spread malfunction of Metrorail substations feeding power to move our trains which run on electricity.
“Metrorail is left with no other alternative but to suspend its services while Eskom is currently busy fixing the problem on their side.
“Metrorail apologises for this unforeseen problem from Eskom’s side,” stated Zenani.
Metrorail will continue to update commuters on the status of services.
Cape Town mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis has been vocal about the power utility’s last-minute load shedding announcement.
“Just a week after Eskom has been granted another 9.61% price increase which no one can afford and which is totally unfair, Eskom has again announced that our country is going back into Stage 2 load shedding.“
According to Hill-Lewis, Eskom continues to be the biggest “handbrake on our economy and our country.” The City of Cape Town has since announced that it had received R1.8 million from the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) South African Energy Programme (SAEP), which will assist in funding Cape Town’s move to get off Eskom’s grid.
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CT Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis blasts Eskom as City accepts R1.8 million from US for energy plans
Picture: Cape {town} Etc Gallery