Wayleave Application Delays – Eskom’s Silence is Costing Jobs and Crushing Businesses

Wayleave Application Delays – Eskom’s Silence is Costing Jobs and Crushing Businesses

Application 19200-22 for Erf 7994 in St Helena Bay.

We app**** for a wayleave from Eskom on 14 April 2025, and as of today, over 35 working days have passed — without a single response from anyone at Eskom. Despite numerous follow-up emails, we have received absolutely no feedback, no acknowledgment, and no progress update.

This delay is not just a minor inconvenience — it’s having a devastating financial impact on our construction business and others in the area. Our building plans cannot be approved, and our entire project is on hold. Building contractors, like our company, are now forced to retrench workers because there is no work. We are unable to pay salaries, and our cash flow is collapsing due to this completely unnecessary delay.

We were only informed of this new wayleave requirement at the start of the process — no one planned for this, and certainly not for months of silence and inaction. It is clear that this process is not adequately resourced or managed. To make things worse, there is no contact number, no official who takes responsibility, and no way to speak to a human being. We’re simply ignored.

And we are not alone. Many businesses are experiencing the same frustration — weeks and months of delays, unanswered emails, and no visibility on applications. The entire building industry in areas like St Helena Bay is grinding to a halt. Hundreds of jobs are now at risk. Builders, contractors, and architects are all suffering massive financial losses while Eskom does nothing.

This is unacceptable. We need urgent action. Why does it take so long? Why is there no accountability? This cannot be how a critical process that directly affects livelihoods is handled.

We are calling on Eskom to immediately:

Respond to pending applications,

Assign a contact person or helpline for wayleave inquiries,

Review and streamline the wayleave approval process to avoid further damage to businesses and communities.

We are beyond frustrated. The silence from Eskom is not just poor service — it is actively destroying jobs and businesses. Something must be done.