Executive Mayor Cllr Mbuso Magubane
The Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality Executive Mayor, Mbuso Magubane, has welcomed the opening of a new Eskom Customer Service Office at Mayflower CNC, describing it as a major victory for residents of Empuluzi and surrounding rural communities.
In a media statement issued on May 22, Magubane said the office will officially begin operating on May 25 and will open every Monday and Thursday from 08:30 to 14:00.
Magubane said the development was the result of ongoing engagements between the Office of the Executive Mayor and Eskom management over several months.
He added that the need for a local Eskom office was first raised by residents during the Mayoral Imbizo held at Goba Sports Ground on March 6.
According to Magubane, residents voiced frustrations over long travelling distances, high transport costs and the time spent trying to resolve electricity-related queries and faults.
“For too long, our people, particularly in Empuluzi and surrounding rural areas, have endured a heavy burden,” he said.
He explained that elderly residents, people living with disabilities and low-income households often had to travel far from home to report faults, apply for electricity connections or resolve billing queries.
The mayor said the opening of the office would now provide easier access to Eskom services, reduce travelling costs and improve response times to service issues.
He also thanked Eskom management for responding positively to the concerns raised by the community and praised residents who participated in the imbizo for speaking openly about their challenges.
Magubane encouraged residents to make full use of the new facility and said the municipality would continue monitoring its operations while engaging Eskom on the possibility of extending operating days should demand increase.
