Eskom suspends service calls in areas affected by protests

South African power utility Eskom said on Sunday it suspended service calls in areas affected by protests, citing concerns for the safety of its employees and contractors.

It said earlier there were delays in service due to “sporadic protest action” predominantly in KwaZulu-Natal region and some parts of Gauteng, the country’s main economic hub where Johannesburg is located.

Read: Pro-Zuma protests spread to Johannesburg

“Eskom will not dispatch technicians in areas where there are protests. Safety of our employees remains our priority and therefore where we feel our employees are not safe, we will withdraw them immediately,” the company said in a statement.

Sporadic acts of violence after the jailing of former South African President Jacob Zuma have spread.

The unrest had initially been concentrated in Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal, where on Wednesday night he started serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court.