Durban - WITH every rolling blackout, residents and eatery owners are throwing money in the bin.
The owner of Happy Chappy along Durban’s beachfront, Jay Naidoo, said load shedding took place during the peak hours from 2 pm to 4 pm or from 6 pm to 8 pm.
“Our fridges stop working and with the heat, the beers, ciders and cold drinks get warm quickly.”
Due to the smoke extraction unit becoming inoperable, Naidoo said most foods could not be prepared the traditional way. He said they did not own a generator and had opted for gas as an alternative.
Naidoo said he spent about R80 000 a month on meat, and often bought in bulk, but not any more.
“We used to buy about 60kg of meat at a time, but we can’t do this now. The meat is defrosting and this can be problematic. We’ve already thrown away a lot of perishables stored in the fridge.”
The manager at Ayesha’s Foods in Chatsworth, Akbar Ali, said he had recently thrown away R1000 worth of chicken that had been prepped for their speciality tikka. “We marinate the chicken and keep it in a chiller. The electricity went off while the shop was closed, and the next day we had no choice but to throw it away.”
He said that during power outages at night, they closed as they feared becoming soft targets for criminals. Sales also dropped considerably during load shedding, he said.
The owner of Oven Delights bakery, Linda Naidoo, said she had to throw out bread, naan, rolls and sponge cakes that had been baking in the oven when the lights went out.
She said the ingredients for baking, which included the cake flour and eggs, were expensive and every time the lights went off, it was like throwing money into the bin. “We also had to throw away containers of fresh cream. We worry when we get orders for speciality cakes, as we don’t know when the power will go off.”
Residents have also been inconvenienced.
Rani Naicker, of Phoenix, said: “We stock up on lunch items like cold meat and cheese, and every time there’s load shedding, the expiry date of the food is shortened. Now that the weather is warmer, we keep our vegetables and fruit in the fridge to remain cool, but it’s also being spoilt.”
She said they had to purchase perishables daily.
“We must also cook less, to avoid storing any leftovers in the fridge.” For Christmas, she will buy what she needs closer to the day.
The marketing and communication manager at the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lucian Naidoo, said that with the festive season in full swing, there was a significant risk to the tourism and hospitality sectors.
“We hope Eskom can resolve the issues or provide greater certainty prior to the start of the holidays, so businesses can plan accordingly.”
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said surges could damage household appliances, but the onus was on residents to switch off before the supply went off.