In December, Delta Substation in Bosch Street was knocked out when a number of breakers and switch gears burned out. This was possibly due to a severe rain and lightning storm.
At the time, the municipality said the burned-out equipment had been replaced. However, when Delta dropped links two weekends ago, it was discovered that the switches had not been replaced, but only repaired.
According to a source in the municipality with expert knowledge about the electricity supply network, the main reason of the non-replacement was that no spares were available.
According to an electrical contractor of Columbus Street, who wished to remain anonymous, there are a number of other reasons besides a lack of spares.
“Very little, if any, maintenance is done to the 33 000kV overhead line running from the substation next to Mediclinic Nelspruit. The line runs over the granite koppies, through the densely bushed valleys and over Steiltes. The line must be maintained by cutting the grass, bushes and tall trees under it. A servitude of at least 20 metres is supposed to be cleared under the line.”
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According to safety standards, there must be at least nine metres between the ground and the overhead lines.
Apparently this maintenance is not done, because workers cannot reach the area due to the hilly and overgrown terrain.
He also blamed the lack of knowledge and experience of the electricity department’s management.
On Sunday the city was once again hit by power cuts. The problem again started when the Delta Substation dropped links. Once again, no spares were available and the breakers had to be rebuilt.
A large area was affected and transformers kept tripping due to an overload caused by residents.
“Unfortunately residents are partly to be blamed for this situation. Despite urgent appeals to them to turn off non-essential items while the power was being restored, they did not adhere to our plea,” said Thea Rix, administrator of the Facebook page Mbombela Electricity, Water, Roads and Any Service Delivery Information.
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When Delta was eventually up and running, the transformer in Geelhout Avenue, West Acres, burned out.
Technicians had to remove a transformer from the substation in Ferreira Street and install it in the one in Geelhout Avenue. Electricity supply was restored, street by street.
Then, once again, due to overloading, the transformer at Nelacres collapsed. There was no spare one available and it had to be rebuilt. Eventually the city’s electricity was restored late Monday afternoon.
The constant power failure resulted in a secondary problem, reservoirs running dry. By Monday afternoon Silulumanzi could only start filling the reservoirs. On Tuesday there were still numerous suburbs without water.
The problem then was that lower-lying areas received water first, but consumers started using so much water, the reservoirs could not fill up fast enough. On Tuesday afternoon, the council deployed water tankers to, among others, Cussons and Totius streets.
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Water supply was back to normal on Wednesday morning.
Joseph Ngala, municipal spokesperson, said on Tuesday that Cllr Sibongile Evelinah Makushe, the executive mayor, called an urgent meeting with Wiseman Khumalo, the municipal manager.
“They requested a full report on the problems that should be handed over to them by Thursday. Only then will the council be in a better position to comment on the issue.”
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