A heartbreaking incident unfolded in Bromhof, Johannesburg, when a three-year-old girl tragically passed away after the inverter powering her breathing machine ran out of charge during load shedding.
The child, who had Woree Syndrome—a rare neurodevelopmental disorder causing drug-resistant epilepsy and developmental delays—died in her mother’s arms on Thursday.According to reports from the *Randburg Sun*, the family rushed to the hospital after their inverter lost power due to load shedding, but were unable to fully charge it because of scheduled maintenance outages. Although the mother attempted to help her daughter with a backup battery-operated nebuliser, it could only provide temporary relief. Sadly, the power went out again just hours after electricity was restored.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena expressed the toll that load shedding is taking on families across the country, stating, “It is hard even for us when lives also get lost because of this national crisis.” Mangena acknowledged residents’ frustrations with recurring outages in Bromhof and confirmed that plans were being made to resolve the issue.
Despite City Power’s efforts to keep residents informed during outages, Mangena cautioned that the utility could not guarantee an uninterrupted power supply and urged residents with medical conditions to ensure they have backup systems in place.
The incident left Ward councillor Ralf Bittkau deeply affected, as he recently experienced the loss of his own daughter. Offering his condolences to the family, he shared, “I understand the pain the family is going through.” Bittkau, clearly frustrated by the ongoing energy crisis, stressed that the government’s inability to resolve Eskom’s power problems was unacceptable, adding, “If the president doesn’t do anything, he’s also as guilty.”
This tragic event highlights the devastating impact of South Africa’s ongoing power outages on vulnerable families. The little girl will be laid to rest next Wednesday.