This past Tuesday and Wednesday, Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy, Samantha Graham-Maré, engaged with community members on various energy-related issues in the Eastern Cape towns of Aberdeen and Graaff-Reinet.
The Deputy Minister responded to invitations from local councillors, who highlighted community concerns such as faulty distribution boards, electrical switches that keep tripping, high electricity tariffs, and frequent power interruptions.
Deputy Minister Graham-Maré stated: “My gratitude goes out to the communities of these two areas for their robust and honest conversation. There is regular criticism that the national government is seen as being divorced from communities, but these engagements are a critical demonstration of how active we are as a department to dispel this notion. These engagements also present us with the opportunity to gain insights into the actual reality many communities across our country might be facing.”
Continuing, the Deputy Minister mentioned that “as part of our efforts to address the various concerns raised, I, along with an Eskom official, will on Saturday, 14 March 2026, conduct oversight visits to residents who highlighted issues with their distribution boards and switches that keep tripping. We are concerned about these faults, as they not only affect access to electricity but also raise serious safety concerns. It is vital that we fully understand these issues so that appropriate interventions can be implemented.”
“I am also looking forward to engaging with the communities of Adendorp on Monday, 16 March, and Nieu Bethesda on 19 March 2026. I encourage residents of these areas to look out for details of these engagements and join us so that we can have productive conversations,” concluded the Deputy Minister.
Enquiries:
Media Liaison, Office of the Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy
Marcellino Martin
Cell: 082 721 3362
E-mail: Marcellino.martin@dmre.gov.za
Spokesperson, Ministry of Electricity and Energy
Tsakane Khambane
Cell: 082 084 5566
E-mail: Tsakane.Khambane@dmre.gov.za
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