Klopperpark residents welcomed the latest upgrades to the substation in Sonnig Street after a number of power interruptions in recent weeks.

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This area has suffered from ongoing issues with unstable power supply as a result of overloading and lack of maintenance of the decaying electrical infrastructure.

Illegal connections also contributed to the disturbance of power circulation.

Ward 92 Clr Kade Guerreiro said these issues made life difficult for residents.

“New, larger cables along with new fuses and circuit breakers have been installed in the main substation with an aim to stabilise power supply in the area,” said Guerreiro.

Guerreiro addressed residents on August 11 on Sonnig Street during a community meeting after a number of power interruptions. Some residents had no power for a week.

He then said backrooms in Sonnig and surrounding areas caused overloading on the network.

“The area’s population has grown over the years and residents are expanding their houses,” he said.

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“Problems faced by residents on Sonnig are similar to those faced by the greater Klopperpark and surrounding areas in ward 92.

“Technicians went back and forth to the substation to install new breakers and cables and they conducted an overload reading,” said Guerreiro.

“Households overloading the grid have been issued with notices. Illegal connections were removed and they were quickly put back,” he said.

He urged residents to take ownership of their streets.

“The electric technicians have done a low balance test trying to balance the power from one line to the other. Residents must stop bypassing their meters,” he said.

Resident Michelle Runganathan said the area had numerous power outages for two weeks.

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“We had to throw away food. We also had to deal with the discomfort of staying in the cold,” she said.

“The power switches on and off and it is costing us money. It is also taxing on our health and our appliances are damaged,” said Runganathan.

“We had to boil water with the gas stove and carry the water up the stairs to the bathroom. We tried to cook but it was not a fruitful exercise.”

Zweli Dlamini, City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson, said CoE had to replace equipment due to overloading including circuit breakers.

“The overload affects the grid badly as the council from time to time has to source and replace burnt-out cables and circuit breakers.

“Application for the legal upgrade by the customers is a necessity, therefore, the council will assist with the process that proper equipment can be installed. This should address the overload issues,” said Dlamini.