South Africa: Phalaborwa Residents Use AI to Create Protest Songs After 28 Days Without Power

5 February 2026
Scrolla (Johannesburg)
By Nkhensani Mthombeni
  • A 58-year-old activist called Kruger Hobo created 15 songs using ChatGPT and Suno, turning resident complaints into AI-generated protest music.
  • Phalaborwa Laerskool Noord sent 660 learners home on Thursday at 10am as no water and electricity created serious hygiene risks.

Residents in Phalaborwa have been without electricity for 28 days. They are now using artificial intelligence to fight back against the municipality.

A 58-year-old activist who calls herself Kruger Hobo started the protest music project. She collected angry comments from residents about their town falling apart and fed them into ChatGPT. The AI tool suggested she use Suno, a free platform that turns text into songs.

"These days the way people communicate has changed. Social media is powerful," she said.

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"A person can now run a complete political campaign using AI online, without the traditional posters and community meetings."

The community has created 15 songs in just one week. The songs criticise the municipality for poor service delivery. Kruger Hobo shares them on Facebook and WhatsApp groups. Some residents want them uploaded to YouTube.

The power crisis reached breaking point on Thursday. Phalaborwa Laerskool Noord sent 660 learners home at 10am.

The school has been without water and electricity since 10 January. Principal L van Dyk posted on Facebook that the municipality had failed to respond despite multiple attempts to contact them.

"At this stage a water tanker won't resolve the problem, as the toilets cannot flush and the children cannot wash their hands," he wrote.

"This poses a serious hygiene risk."

About 25 households remain without power nearly four weeks after floods hit the area. This does not include Extension 5's industrial area.

Community groups including Gatvol Phalaborwa and CPR are demanding change in leadership.

A CPR representative said they chose that name because they want to resuscitate the town back to a place with no potholes, good electricity and cleanliness.

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