Cable theft sparks power disruptions in Tshwane

It has been a week of multiple power disruptions in Tshwane, with some residents being without electricity for days and other having to wait until the weekend before being switched back on again.

City of Tshwane’s spokesperson Selby Bokaba has condemned these acts of theft and vandalism after various parts of Soshanguve, including Extension Y and X, were left without power

“The entire Soshanguve block Y area will remain without power until all repairs are concluded.”

Theft and vandalism cause power outage

“Due to the volume of work, the installation of new equipment is anticipated to be completed by Sunday and then power will be restored,” he said.

A total of 22 mini-substations in Soshanguve block-P had to be switched off to allow the team to commission the repairs.

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It will remain off until the new medium voltage switch gear installation is complete.

Bokaba warned many areas may be affected by supply interruptions during the reconnection.

Hammanskraal farmer Theuns Vogel, a critic of the water issues in the area, said he was concerned about a possible cholera outbreak should the water and power issues continue.

Worries about cholera outbreak

“The possibility of an outbreak is high, due to the Rooiwal sewage works currently out of order due to the transformer and equipment which burnt out.

“It also brought the Themba plant to a standstill,” Vogel said.

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Another Hammanskraal resident, Nala Ramohlokoane, said despite the updates shared on social media, they were still without power.

“Last year, the same power station burnt and we were without power for 21 days.”

Hammanskraal was not the only area in Tshwane experiencing power outages this past week.

Many areas experiencing power outages

Yolanda Botha from the Moot said the power in Waverley was only switched back on Wednesday night after five days due to cable theft.

“Last year, the thieves stole cables between East Lynne and Waverley.

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“This year, they stole the cables on the other side of the highway,” Botha said.