Pretoria - Activists have started gathering in Church Square in the Pretoria CBD as part of a protest organised by civil rights group #NotInMyName against the indefinite load shedding unleashed by Eskom.
Speaking to IOL, Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said the civil rights group has been granted permission to march across the city.
“Yes, the march is legal and we approved it, reason being that they met the requirements of the security cluster. The expected crowd is plus-minus 1 000 people,” said Mahamba.
“They will be leaving from Church Square and the first memorandum will be handed at the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) office in Madiba Street.
“From Nersa, they will proceed to the Union Buildings where they will hand over the second memorandum and disperse from there. We are expecting a peaceful march,” he said.
The march is being held under the hashtag #SAagainstLoadShedding.
The TMPD has requested motorists around Pretoria CBD and Arcadia to be patient when approaching the listed streets, or to avoid them entirely.
The activists’ march comes as many South Africans continue to vent their anger and frustration on social media regarding Eskom’s 18.65% tariff increase for 2023/24 approved by Nersa this month.
Nersa has also approved a 12,7% increase for the 2024/2025 financial year.
#NotInMyName has denounced the fact that community members have no option but to pay for electricity, while they were being plunged into darkness due to load shedding and effectively receiving less power from Eskom.
IOL