Eskom in KwaZulu-Natal said it was aware of the widespread outages in areas including Newcastle, Dundee, Estcourt, Ladysmith, Pietermaritzburg, and Margate caused by heavy rains and snowfall.
The extreme weather conditions have resulted in fallen trees, compromised power lines, and blocked roads and left motorists trapped in freezing snow since Friday.
The power utility said due to the large number of faults, customers may experience delays in restoration, but all faults will be attended to as soon as possible.
“Technicians are on standby to attend to the faults once there is access. Access is hampered due to road closures. Eskom appeals for patience from our customers as restoration may take longer than usual,” said Eskom spokesperson, Joyce Zingoni.
Zingoni said the public was advised to steer clear of damaged electrical infrastructure, avoid touching electrical appliances with wet hands, and not attempt to remove fallen trees near power lines.
“Avoid contact with water and plumbing, including sinks and baths, when there is lightning. Never use electric appliances or touch electric wires, switches, or fuses when your hands are wet or when you are standing in water,” Zingoni said.
“If an electrical appliance has been in contact with water, get a professional to check it out before it is used again as it may need to be repaired or replaced.”
She further urged customers to report faults or damaged infrastructure following Eskom’s various customer service channels, which include the MyEskom Customer App, Alfred the Chatbot and the Eskom Contact Centre (08600 ESKOM / 37566).
Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service (Saws), issued a Level 8 warning for further disruptive snow is in effect for Alfred Duma, Ladysmith, Dr N. Dlamini-Zuma - Underberg, Greater Kokstad, Impendle, Inkosi Langalibalele Escourt, Inkosi Langalibalele Sobabili, Mpofana Giants Castle, Mpofana Mooi River, Okhahlamba and uMngeni.
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