A new energy champions initiative has been introduced by Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina to curb the number of electricity outages in the metro.
This was revealed by the MMC for Finance and Economic Development, Clr Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, during his annual budget speech last week.
According to Xhakaza, the initiative is aimed at speedily attending to and preventing power cuts in the city during winter.
“Although new, this intervention is a clear demonstration of the leadership’s commitment to providing uninterrupted service rendition to our people,” said Xhakaza.
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He admitted that power interruptions experienced recently had been a source of strain for residents and businesses alike.
“We recognise that electricity insecurity has a significant impact on the productivity of businesses, particularly those in manufacturing, which make up a significant number of enterprises in our city,” said Xhakaza.
“In this epoch of Covid-19 lockdown, the impact is particularly devastating as businesses are already struggling to operate at maximum capacity.
“In direct response to this, we are allocating R1.2-billion to maintenance and operations in an effort to deal with power interruptions and outages.
“The main areas of focus shall be illegal connections, cable theft, refurbishment of substations, streetlights and meter tampering.
“The bulk of our power challenges emanates directly from these issues.
“Beyond the devastation that illegal connections pose on the supply of electricity, they are also dangerous as they can cause electrocution.
“Too often, innocent people lose their lives or are severely injured due to illegal connections.”
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The city has set aside R1.4-b for the medium-term revenue and expenditure framework (MTREF) and R503.7-million for the 2020/21 financial year.
Key projects include the Thokoza infrastructure programme, for which the city has allocated R46-m, the upgrading of substations, network enhancement, metering and the provision and maintenance of streetlights, and the electrification of informal settlements.
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