Fighting spirit: This is why Sowetans won't pay for electricity

'The difference between us and the rest of the country is that we are defending our grannies and the vulnerable,' said Trevor Ngwane of the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee.

JOHANNESBURG - Some residents of Soweto are adamant about their demands from Eskom, despite owing the power utility R18 billion.

"It’s because Soweto has fighting spirit!" Trevor Ngwane of the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee said, speaking to CapeTalk's Refilwe Moloto.

The residents are threatening chaos if they’re forced to pay their debt.

A public rally was held in Rockville on Sunday to challenge their electricity bill.

"We demand that the ANC government puts pressure on Eskom to treat communities equally," Ngwane said.

"Eskom is using bullying tactics against working-class communities, scapegoating the poor. Low-paying areas get more load shedding. When a transformer has a problem, Eskom doesn’t respond on the grounds that its a low-paying area. We say it’s ‘low-paying’ because some are paying, some are not. More aren’t paying than those who are.

"The difference between us and the rest of the country is that we are defending our grannies and the vulnerable… It’s because Soweto has fighting spirit! They don’t allow themselves to be bullied."

Listen to the audio below for more.