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BLACKOUTS, power outages, power cuts... these are words that we have become so accustomed to hearing ? and will be hearing a lot more often. But what does this mean to us?

On Friday I had really just had enough! I got home from work at 20:00 and, like many, had to prepare supper.

Luckily I had bought salomies from someone at work that afternoon, otherwise I really would have been in a jam. I warmed up the food and my husband and I ate. I had just made coffee when the lights flickered.

This being the initial warning, I ran for a lighter and a candle, then BANG! The power was cut.

This really infuriated, me because all I wanted to do was relax. And relaxing just doesn?t seem possible without the comfort of electricity I had become so accustomed to.

My first thought was visiting someone who wasn?t victim to this load shedding.

So my husband and took a drive. Our normal route is Strandfontein Road, which is at best dark and creepy, but that night seemed so much worse.

As we were driving, we noticed a group standing around someone in the street. With shock and horror we saw a pedestrian had been knocked over because of the darkness ? another negative point of not having electricity.

We continued driving past Grassy Park, Ottery, Kenilworth, Athlone... and saw all the lights were out and only very few traffic lights were working; the roads were in utter chaos.

I tuned into one of the talk radio stations. The DJ announced all electricity in the southern suburbs was out, including the city and the V&A Waterfront.

A major blackout for the whole of Cape Town? That seemed a bit drastic. My next suggestion was to drive out to Parow. Maybe there would be some refuge there.

On approaching the northern suburbs, an announcement on the radio said the blackout was due to a problem at the Durbanville sub-station.

But the irony was Durbanville actually had electricity. Once in Parow we relaxed with our friends on the balcony, looking out over the darkness that was Cape Town.

I don't know how I am going to cope with this "emergency".

I feel the absolute need to point a finger to the people responsible, but who, exactly, is responsible ? Eskom or the government?

I am sure my sentiments are shared by others. The problem had better be fixed soon; I don't know how much patience I have left!

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