Ekurhuleni – The family of John Shabangu, a 49-year-old Eskom employee, is desperately seeking answers after he went missing on 27 February. In a bid to find him, they have issued a R20,000 reward for any information that could lead to his whereabouts.
John Shabangu left his home in Dawn Park, Ekurhuleni, intending to visit friends. However, he was allegedly hijacked in Rondebult, Ekurhuleni, and has not been seen or heard from since. His phone has been switched off, adding to the family's distress.
John's elder brother, Jobo Shabangu, expressed the family's deep concern. "As the family, we're worried. We would be relieved if we can get leads on his whereabouts," he said.
While John remains missing, there is a disturbing element to the case. Bank transactions indicate that individuals have been withdrawing money from his bank accounts, raising fears of foul play.
Captain Nelda Sekgobela, spokeswoman for Ekurhuleni district police, confirmed that the victim's car was located in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni. She said John is still missing, and authorities are investigating a kidnapping case.
Anyone with information regarding John Shabangu's whereabouts is urged to contact the Ekurhuleni police or the Shabangu family directly. The R20,000 reward is offered for information that leads to finding him.
In related news, Eskom has announced the suspension of Stage 3 load shedding, but has warned South Africans to brace themselves for further power cuts as winter approaches.
The power utility warns consumers to prepare for more power cuts in the coming months as it intensifies maintenance operations ahead of the winter season.
This follows the suspension of Stage 3 load shedding on Sunday morning, 9 March, days after it was reintroduced.
The sudden return of Stage 3 load shedding, which resulted in power outages lasting up to three hours, sparked concern among residents and businesses alike.
Eskom explained that the outages were necessary due to constraints on the national grid, largely driven by inadequate power supply and ongoing maintenance challenges.
Despite the suspension, Eskom's spokeswoman Daphne Mokwena emphasised that the utility expects power cuts to continue through winter, as it works on critical maintenance of aging infrastructure.
“The team is working diligently to restore 4 091 megawatts back to service by Monday. We maintain our guidance that load shedding is largely behind us due to structural improvements in the generation fleet," said Mokwena.
"While baseload capacity remains constrained, our generation recovery plan is addressing this challenge."
In recent years, the utility has faced challenges in addressing the maintenance backlog, leading to a series of rolling blackouts across the country.
As winter approaches, the demand for electricity is expected to rise significantly, placing further strain on the already fragile system.
"The cold months bring increased demand for electricity, particularly for heating, and we're currently ensuring all plants are running as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, this will require some planned outages," Mokwena said.
In addition to maintenance challenges, Eskom faces financial difficulties and ongoing issues of theft and vandalism at several power stations, adding strain to the grid. The combination of these factors means that South Africans are likely to face further disruptions to their electricity supply in the coming months.
