By Marcus Moloko
City Power has confirmed that the ongoing power outage at Diepkloof hostel, which sparked protest action on Saturday morning, stems from issues on the Eskom network and an outstanding debt linked to the facility’s account.
The utility explained that the initial fault was reported on Monday, 20 April, with Eskom technicians deployed to the site on Wednesday.
While repairs to faulty cables were completed, Eskom has since isolated supply to the hostel due to non-payment.
The outage has left residents frustrated, with demonstrations escalating into clashes with police as community members demand the restoration of electricity.
City Power says it is engaging with stakeholders to resolve the matter and will provide further updates as progress is made.
Meanwhile, residents of Diepkloof hostel in Soweto have vowed to continue protesting until electricity supply is restored to their area.
The residents clashed with police when their protest intensified, prompting officers to fire rubber bullets.
Some residents say power outages in their area have affected them severely.
