SHEILA MHLONGO
Okungenani izifundazwe ezinhlanu kweziyisishiyagalolunye zaseNingizimu Afrika sezikhishiwe ngokuphelele ohlelweni lokuncishiswa kukagesi (Load Reduction), kulandela ukuqaliswa kohlelo lukazwelonke lwe-Eskom olubizwa nge-Load Reduction Eradication Programme.
Selokhu lolu hlelo lwaqalwa ngoSepthemba wonyaka odlule, abantu ababalelwa ku-1.1 miliyoni sebeyekwe ngokuphelele ohlelweni lokuncishiswa kukagesi, okusho ukuthi sekufeziwe cishe u-65% wenhloso ye-Eskom yokuqeda lolu hlelo.
Isifundazwe saseMpumalanga sesijoyine iWestern Cape, iNorthern Cape, iFree State kanye neNorth West njengezifundazwe ezingasahlaselwa ukuncishiswa kukagesi. I-Eskom ihlose ukuthi lolu hlelo luqedwe ezweni lonke ngoMashi 2027.
Esitatimendeni sayo, i-Eskom ithe le mpumelelo iyingxenye yesu layo elibanzi lokuqinisekisa ukusebenza kahle nokuzinza kwezezimali ngokunciphisa ukulahleka kukagesi kanye nokwenza uhlelo lokusatshalaliswa kukagesi lube sesimweni sesimanje ngokutshala izimali ekuqiniseni ingqalasizinda yokusabalalisa ugesi.
“Iphinde ibe negalelo ekwenzeni ugesi uthembeke kakhulu futhi ithuthukise ulwazi lwamakhasimende, ngesikhathi iletha izinzuzo ezibonakalayo emakhaya, ezikoleni, emitholampilo, emabhizinisini nasemiphakathini ngokwakha inethiwekhi kagesi eqinile nephephile,” kusho i-Eskom.
Isikhulu Esiphezulu se-Eskom esibhekele uMnyango Wokusatshalaliswa Kukagesi, uJunaid Munshi, sithe le mpumelelo ikhombisa ukuzimisela kwenkampani ekuguquleni indlela ugesi olethwa ngayo kubantu baseNingizimu Afrika.
“Yize sesenze inqubekelaphambili enkulu ekuthuthukiseni ukusebenza kweziteshi zokuphehla ugesi nasekuqiniseni uzinzo lohlelo lukagesi, siyazi ukuthi eminye imiphakathi isathinteka ngenxa yokuncishiswa kukagesi.
“Ukufinyelela esigabeni lapho amakhasimende angaphezu kwesigidi esisodwa esekhishiwe ohlelweni lokuncishiswa kukagesi kufakazela ukuthi lolu hlelo luyasebenza futhi luletha imiphumela ebonakalayo. Nokho umsebenzi awukapheli.
“Izindawo ezisele, ikakhulukazi eGauteng naseKwaZulu-Natal, zisadinga ukutshalwa kwezimali okuqhubekayo, ukuthuthukiswa kwengqalasizinda, ukusetshenziswa kobuchwepheshe besimanje kanye nokubambisana okuqhubekayo nemiphakathi kanye nababambiqhaza ukuze kubhekwane nezimbangela zokugcwala ngokweqile kwamanethiwekhi kagesi,” kusho uMunshi.
I-Eskom ichaze ukuthi ukuncishiswa kukagesi kusetshenziswa ukuvikela ingqalasizinda ekulimaleni nasekushisweni ngenxa yokugcwala ngokweqile okubangelwa ukuxhunywa kukagesi ngokungemthetho.
“Ukuxhunywa kukagesi ngokungemthetho, ukwebiwa kukagesi, ukuphazanyiswa kwamamitha kanye nokucekelwa phansi kwengqalasizinda kuyaqhubeka nokufaka ingcindezi enkulu kumanethiwekhi kagesi emiphakathini, okwandisa amathuba okulimala kwengqalasizinda, ukuphazamiseka kokuphakelwa kukagesi kanye nezingozi zokuphepha.
“Ngakho-ke i-Eskom inxusa wonke amakhasimende kanye nababambiqhaza emphakathini ukuba basebenzisane ekuvikeleni ingqalasizinda kagesi nasekuqinisekiseni ukuthi ugesi uqhubeka nokutholakala ngendlela ethembekile.”
Amalungu omphakathi ayakhuthazwa ukuba:
- Abike ukuxhunywa kukagesi ngokungemthetho, ukwebiwa kukagesi kanye nokuphazanyiswa kwamamitha.
- Abike ingqalasizinda kagesi eyonakele noma eyingozi.
- Asekele ukufakwa kwamamitha ahlakaniphile (smart meters) futhi avumele amathimba ezobuchwepheshe e-Eskom agunyaziwe ukuthi asebenze ngokuphepha.
- Akhuthaze ukusetshenziswa kukagesi ngendlela ephephile nesemthethweni emiphakathini.
I-Eskom ikhuthaza amakhasimende ukuthi abike ukuxhunywa kukagesi ngokungemthetho kanye nokulimala kwengqalasizinda ngokushayela i-Eskom Crime Line ku-0800 112 722 noma nge-WhatsApp ku-081 333 3323.
“I-Eskom isazibophezele ekuhlinzekeni ngogesi ophephile, othembekile futhi ozinzile, ngesikhathi iqinisekisa ukuthi zonke izakhamuzi zaseNingizimu Afrika ziyaqhubeka nokuzuza ezinhlelweni zokuthuthukiswa kokusebenza kohlelo lukagesi,” kuphetha i-Eskom.
– SAnews.gov.za
