Small South African town close to the Botswana border hit by electricity outages amid staff strikes

Zeerust, a small town in the North West Province, has been hit with electricity outages which last for days.

Businesses in one area have been without electricity since Friday, 4 September 2026, forcing businesses to rely on generators to remain operational.

Zeerust is a commercial town in the Marico Valley, located along the banks of the Klein-Marico River and serves as a regional economic hub.

The surrounding valley supports large-scale cattle ranching alongside crops like maize, wheat, citrus fruits, and tobacco.

It is located along the N4 highway, close to the Botswana border, and serves as a stopover on the transit corridor between Gauteng and the Botswana border post.

Zeerust falls under the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality, named after Chief Ramotshere Moiloa of the Bahurutshe boo Moiloa.

The town has faced infrastructure decay and municipal mismanagement, leading to economic friction and public unrest.

The latest problems include electricity outages, which have reached such concerning levels that urgent intervention is needed.

Imaan Sayed Suliman, a councillor in the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality, said that an ongoing staff strike disrupted municipal services.

The electricity outages, he said, form part of the service delivery problems caused by the staff strike.

“The timing is concerning as Friday was also a SASSA payment day, when residents depend on functioning municipal infrastructure and services,” he said.

“While workers have rights under labour law, those rights do not remove the municipality’s responsibility to its residents.”

He highlighted that the Municipal Systems Act requires municipalities to prioritise the basic needs of local communities.

They have to ensure that residents have access to at least the minimum level of basic municipal services.

“The municipality must therefore account for how it is fulfilling this responsibility during the current strike,” Suliman said.

“Residents should not be left without support simply because the municipality is facing a labour dispute.”

“The people of Ramotshere Moiloa deserve a municipality that works for all and not one that stops functioning when the municipality faces a crisis.”